Silence Changes
by AnonymousVDAddict
Summary: Avery was thrown into Mystic Falls under the worse circumstances. The dangers of the town try to remain a secret. But it's an idea that becomes a challenge when Kol meddles with her life. Connected&Intertwined with Forbidden to Remember, my other story. Kol/OC
1. Chapter 1

**After much thought and a high request, my Kol/OC fanfic journey begins.**

**Music**

**Comptine D'un Autre Ete - Yann Tiersen**

**Jenna's Funeral - Michael Suby**

**Skinny Love - Birdy**

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A young girl sat on a plane, only at the age of eighteen, all alone. It's realistic and many people have probably done it. Except, the reason for being alone was because her family was murdered. But that's what not what the police decided. They only believed it was a robbery gone wrong. Avery Jones refused to believe mediocre thieves were capable of killing her parents and her ten-year-old brother. The lack of satisfaction in the crimes conclusion made it impossible for her to stop thinking about it. The terrifying images came forcing their way back into Avery's mind. She wished they wouldn't. She'd tried so hard to control their repression.

_She had been coming home from a night out with friends. As she closed the front door and stepped further into the house, her feet cracked a broken piece of glass. Avery finally turned on the lights to see that it looked like a tornado had flown through her house. The lamp next to the door had been knocked over; the shattered light bulb was what her feet had stepped on. Paintings on the wall up the staircase were all crooked. That was when Avery's heart started racing. Her family hadn't shown themselves yet. _

_She raced up the stairs, knowing somehow that whatever danger had just lurked at her house was now gone. There was a darkness that had been here but it was no longer there. Her first instinct was to go to her little brother, Jamie's room. A deep breath escaped her throat in relief when she saw it was empty and the items around the room remained untouched. But it only made her more confused at what could have happened. She moved on to her parent's room at the end of the hall. The door was left open so little, only a sliver of light was seen escaping to the hallway. Her parents always left their door wide open if they were awake, never like this. Avery quickly flung open the door, completely unaware of what she was about to see. Her parent's bodies lay dead on their beds, sheets and blankets stained red from their blood. Her brother was lifeless only a few feet away from the door. He still wore his pajamas as his eyes stared at the ceiling. _

_Nothing can ever prepare someone for the images she saw. It was so disturbing, so unexpected. Avery let out a horrified scream without meaning to. She immediately went into shock. Her feet backed toward the corner of the room until she hit the wall. She slid down it, her legs no longer finding the strength to stand. No matter how hard she tried, Avery couldn't stop looking at their corpses. Even when she was able to look away, the red was seen in the corners of her vision. Minutes, maybe hours, passed. There was no way of knowing. Time had become meaningless to her. All she knew was that cops eventually found her sitting on the floor crying hysterically. Her neighbors must have heard her scream. Ironic there wasn't any sound that could've alerted them while her family was being murdered. _

_An officer tried to console her, speaking comforts and trying to calm her. His worried voice made Avery aware of how much she had been crying. He helped her up and led her out of the room, muttering something about how she shouldn't have to keep looking. In the end, after countless investigations and detectives, her family was declared murdered by amateur burglars who must have panicked when they realized people were home. The whole thing seemed ridiculous to Avery. There were many types of criminals in the world. But burglar and cold-blooded murderer were too far apart to come to such a conclusion. Avery felt like people were hiding something from her, from anyone who looked into her family's case. _

_Avery was 18, living through the summer after graduating high school. Now she was an orphan, at least she felt like one. Technically, she was legally allowed to live on her own from now on. But no 18 year old is thinking about doing so at such an age. They are only thinking about going to college and feeling free, but never do they actually have the full responsibilities of an adult. Avery wasn't even close to being able to live on her own. She was mourning her family, starting to realize how truly alone she had become in a single night. The thought of throwing herself into the real world was incomprehensible. _

_At her family's funeral, she was the only hand to shake as everyone gave their sympathies. Everyone said something along the same lines. Eventually, it all started blending together, becoming meaningless to Avery. She was numb to all the remorse that surrounded her. Toward the end of the line, she noticed her Aunt Meredith lingering behind. She was the only sibling of her mother. The last time Avery saw her aunt was at her second cousin's funeral, not even a year ago. Meredith and her mom's cousin, Logan, had been pronounced dead after skeptical speculation. Avery found it strange how both him and her family had died from such mysterious causes. But the thought was put aside as she took in her aunt'Looking at Meredith was like looking at a younger version of her mother. _

_Finally, there were only a few people that lingered at the cemetery. Meredith slowly walked over to Avery. She gave her a long hug, it was one of the very few that actually made Avery feel better. Somehow Meredith seemed to be keeping it together. Her only sister was now dead. Two of her close family members had died not even a year apart, both at an uncommonly young age. She was an inspiration to Avery to keep it together. _

"_So some of us were talking about a living situation for you." Meredith stated quietly. Avery's head shot up to look at her. She hadn't expected any of her extended family to take such an initiative. Meredith smiled at her. "Come on Avery, you didn't honestly think we would throw you out on the street? I thought maybe you would want to come back to Mystic Falls and live with me…" Meredith looked up at her a little hopeful, not knowing what her niece would say. Avery looked over Meredith's shoulder at her family's coffins slowly being lowered into their graves. Her eyes moved_ back to her aunt. Slowly she nodded her head, taking her offer.

Now Avery was about to land in Virginia. Her new life was about to start. She didn't want such a change, but it was the only thing she could do to move on. Her family was stuck in Maine and she was leaving them behind. After grabbing her things from baggage claim, she went outside to catch a cab. She knew Meredith had work and didn't want to trouble her with asking for a night off just to pick her up from the airport. Avery was perfectly capable of finding her own way home.

The cab driver muttered an unenthusiastic greeting and Avery gave him Meredith's address. She was happy when he didn't try and make small talk. Avery had always been quiet, not shy, just only speaking when it was completely necessary. And since her family's death, she only found the need to speak less and less. As the cab drove through Mystic Falls, she didn't recognize anything. Her mother moved out of her hometown as soon as she finished high school, and rarely returned to her home. She refused to ever bring Avery and her brother here. When she saw her family, it was always when they visited them in Maine. That was why Avery had never been to Mystic Falls until now. When she was younger, she often questioned why her mom hated coming back so much. But she always muttered something about how Avery wasn't missing anything special.

After a half an hour or so, the cab driver pulled up next to a cute and small house. Avery just went ahead and assumed the address was right. She quietly thanked the driver as she handed him money, giving him a decent tip for a teenager. She dragged her bags up the porch to the front door. Meredith had already made her a copy of the key prior to leaving her home in Maine. Just as she put was putting the key into the lock, a chill went up her neck. It was a weird feeling that she'd never had. There was a brush of air; something one would feel if someone quickly walked past closely and without touching. Avery swiftly turned around to see if maybe the cab driver was still in the driveway. But he'd already left and the neighborhood was quiet; so quiet it almost made her uneasy. She shook her head, telling herself she just wasn't comfortable living in such new surroundings yet. But she slammed the door shut, still bolting the lock.

The house was sort of mess. Take-out containers filled the kitchen and living room. But Avery didn't judge. She had never been a good cook and her aunt was probably too exhausted to make her own food after a long shift. And cleaning probably became an annoyance. Avery grabbed her cell phone out of one of her bags. She'd promised Meredith she'd called her as soon as she made it to the house. The phone rang a minute or two without being picked up, leading right to voicemail.

"Hey Meredith…I just got in. You're probably really busy at work so I guess I'll just see you later." Avery sighed as she looked around the room. There was a door left open a little that seemed to be empty. She'd already seen the room that she expected was her aunts, so this one must be hers. Avery carefully got up and walked over to it. It had wooden floors and white walls. The room could not be any plainer. Meredith had clearly cleaned it out, making it ready for Avery's arrival. There was only a bed sitting on silver metal posts and two dressers. She brought in all of her bags, which wasn't much. Most of her things were being shipped in the mail.

The windows we left open to let in the cool, summer, and night air. The sheer drapes would flutter every once in awhile. Avery lay across the bed that was made of all white linen. She didn't feel like turning on any lights. The moonlight filled the room as she stared up at the ceiling. Tears silently ran down her cheeks. This wasn't how her life was supposed to go. Her family was never meant to die like this. They were supposed to live long and happy lives, dying only of old age, not murder. Jamie had only been ten. When his face came into her head, Avery cried even harder. Why did it have to be him instead of her? She asked herself. If her family had to die, she should have died with them. It wasn't fair, none of it was. Eventually, she fell asleep. Her crying had exhausted her body. The tears started to slowly dry on her face as she fell into a wearied slept.

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**Obviously Kol was not in this chapter. It's an intro ladies and gentleman. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Music**

**Stokkseyri - Jónsi & Alex **(waking up)

**I Am Waiting For The Man (feat. Mistaya Hemingway) - David Lang **(the party)

**Jenny's Theme - Danny Elfman **(Kol&Avery)

* * *

Avery slowly awakened from her sleep by someone shaking her. Once her eyes slowly opened, she noticed Meredith kneeling beside her bed. Her aunt had a small encouraging smile on her face.

"What time is it?" Avery muttered, still trying to actually wake.

"It's almost 12 in the afternoon." Meredith informed.

Avery's eyes widened a little the realization of time it was. "Why did you let me sleep in so late?" She said sitting up and immediately regretting it when her vision started becoming fuzzy at too quick of a movement.

Meredith laughed a little. "What's wrong with sleeping in? I'm sure you needed the rest. Come on, I'll make you some breakfast. There's half a pot of coffee left." She jumped up and went into the kitchen, knowing Avery would follow. She sat down at the small table in the kitchen that was filled with endless amounts of papers, staring at her aunt bustling about the kitchen. Avery rubbed her eyes, still trying to get out of her daze.

"Do you have work later tonight again?" She asked her aunt. Meredith didn't respond as she shoved scrambled eggs with ham in front of her. That was when she noticed all the papers laying on the table. Her face became immediately annoyed.

"Um…just shove these out of the way." Meredith muttered, almost embarrassed. "As you can probably tell…I'm not very tidy." She sat down at the only other chair at the small kitchen nook table. Avery just looked at her, not feeling the need to reassure her aunt that the small clutter was nothing to apologize for. People often misread Avery's silences for rudeness or disinterest. But she only spoke when it was completely necessary. Her Aunt Meredith always understood that about her niece for some reason. They had a mutual understanding for her chosen muteness.

"So…now that you mentioned it. I am not working tonight." She leaned on the table, watching Avery hesitate in taking a bite of food. "There's this founders family party tonight. I swear they throw these things like every other day. I…um…can't really skip it. Would you like to come? All the kids your age just got out of school and they'll probably be there. You could make some friends." Meredith watched as she saw that Avery showed no signs of being excited about the idea. "…Or if that's not comfortable for you yet, I understand." Her aunt added sympathetically. She looked down at the table, annoyed for not being any help. Avery watched her aunt for a moment. She understood that she would probably have to go alone. Her aunt was worried about her, it was clear. She was walking on eggshells around her, scared that anything she brought up would throw her into an emotional breakdown. Avery found it almost odd how easily she got over the death of her sister. But Avery had lost her entire family. Maybe she was just jealous at how together her aunt looked in comparison.

Avery didn't mean to be so worrisome. Meredith was only trying to help her get situated. She put down her fork and swallowed a bite of food. "Yeah…I'll go. I mean…I should get to know some people in town." She couldn't help but notice how her aunt's eyes lit up at her agreement.

"Great! ...We should probably get you a dress, huh?" Meredith questioned.

Avery looked confused. "A dress, really? Are these things really that fancy?"

Meredith's eyes rolled, thinking about all the ridiculous extravagance that came with being part of the Mystic Fall's secret council and a founding family. "Unfortunately, they usually are. I'll take you shopping."

After breakfast, Avery and Meredith made their way into town. It all made Avery feel guilty. Everyone kept saying her family would only want her to move on with her life and be happy. But it just felt so wrong. They had died hardly a week ago, and here she was shopping for a dress to go to a party. She kept thinking her life was a bad dream and she was just waiting for it to be over. None of it had truly sunk in yet. The more she threw herself into Mystic Falls, the quicker she'd understand how horrible her reality had truly become and that her family was never coming back.

Avery tried to make the shopping process as painless as possible. It was simple for her really: find a cute, black dress and call it day. Her mother had always teased her about her love for dark colors; especially how visible it was while looking at her wardrobe. But Avery cynically thought in her head how fitting it was. She was mourning, wasn't she? It seemed disconcertingly appropriate.

* * *

Meredith and Avery drove in silence to the Lockwood mansion. There were cars already everywhere, parked on the street and on their lawn. Two valets' immediately opened their doors, helping both of the ladies out. Looking at all the people attending, Avery suddenly thought coming wasn't such a good idea. Although she hated admitting that her silence sometimes was formed from certain shyness, in these situations, it seemed to take over. When she truly wanted to be, Avery could be quite the social butterfly. But that want was extremely rare.

"I promise I won't leave you alone with the snobby founding families." Meredith whispered jokily as if she could sense Avery's discomfort. She only nodded at her joke, breathing in to prepare herself for their entrance.

"Oh hello, Meredith. I've been meaning to speak with you." An older woman said to her aunt. Her eyes were bright blue, hair unnaturally voluminous, and teeth overly white. Avery thought she looked like a retired pageant contestant. The woman's attention was suddenly caught by Avery's appearance. Her face dropped in forced happiness. Avery immediately knew the woman already identified who she was.

"You must be Avery. I'm so sorry for your loss. Your mom and I were quite good friends when we were your age. I'm Mayor Lockwood. I hope you welcome Mystic Falls as your new home." There was a little bit of sincerity in her voice. But her words almost came off as too rehearsed. Avery only nodded her head. Mayor Lockwood turned her attention back to Meredith. "Find me later?" Her voice lowered as she asked. Meredith just nodded. Avery couldn't help but catch how serious the exchange was. She didn't realize serious matters would be discussed at such a party.

The two of them moved away from the mayor, knowing she had a lot of guests to entertain. Avery finally got a glance around the room. There were waiters and waitresses bustling about in black and white tuxedos. All of their hands were filled with trays of either champagne or hors d'oeuvres. In a corner of a larger room, a bartender handed out beverages. The guests were wearing their finest attire. Avery remembered her aunt saying they had these things quite often. She wasn't used to such grand festivities, especially attending them. The founding families didn't do things half way.

Even with his looks and demeanor, Kol Mikaelson was always good at blending in when he wished. Only a few days ago, he returned to Mystic Falls. He was too unwilling to admit to himself that he came here because he knew a certain brother and his companion would not. Her name forced itself to be said inside his head: Hayley. His teeth grind together as his thoughts roamed to her. For the past couple months, Kol had traveled all over the country. At first, he wouldn't allow himself to go too far away from where Elijah and her rested in Chicago. A magnetic pull seemed to keep him in a radius of the city, never allowing him to venture too far. Even though he avoided contact with her at all costs, he started convincing himself that he needed to get far away. Mystic Falls only had bad memories for Elijah and her, that's why it was Kol's immediate choice.

On his return to Mystic Falls, he also found his sister, Rebekah. She resided in the mansion Klaus had bought only last year. He'd been informed that Klaus would come and go every so often. Rebekah said Caroline had been forced to run away from town, the city's council had discovered her secret of being a vampire. But the young vampire didn't know the original hybrid shadowed her travels, forever watching over her but never intervening in her fugitive life.

The change in the council was part of the reason Kol had decided to come to the dreadful party. He'd heard they were making drastic changes when every member discovered the sheriff and mayor withheld dangerous information. Kol found it all very boring and comical. He'd decided he was on the hunt for the night. The council thought they could change things, defend themselves and fight the vampire race. That was precisely why Kol intended on killing something tonight, maybe even multiple things. He wanted to scare the reality into their minds: they couldn't match vampires.

His attention was caught when he kept overhearing people's apologies and sorrows. He looked over to where they were coming from. That was when he saw her. A young girl stood across the room. Her height was average, but that was the only thing that was common about her. The girl's hair was black as night and her eyes were an iridescent blue. On top of fairly pale skin, the two stood out. The blue in her eyes may have attracted Kol's attentiveness but it also made him notice how utterly sad they were. He then realized that all apologies were being addressed to her. Even after dozens of people had expressed their respects, she had yet to speak a word. Kol believed people only said such things to make themselves better than actually meaning them. So no one found her silence odd in any way. They had said what was expected and didn't care about hearing her gratitude. He continued to observe the girl as she tried to stay close to the young woman Kol recognized as Meredith Fell. He overheard someone address the girl as her niece and was also able to catch that her name was Avery. Kol had yet to get used to how strange some of the names from this time had become. They were nothing like the common ones from when he thrived as a vampire.

After a few minutes, he saw how anxious Avery appeared. It was obvious whatever loss everyone was regarding was not what she wanted to be talking about. She had yet to notice the original vampire watching her so closely. Avery glanced over at her aunt, who had been momentarily distracted by Mayor Lockwood. Kol smirked when he saw how quickly Avery made her move to escape the party. No one caught it but him. Kol couldn't decide why, but something about her made him follow her, hiding in the shadows of the mansion. Yes, she was beautiful. But there were plenty of beautiful women in the world. Maybe it was the sadness in her eyes, the loss of hope in her bearing. Eventually, she made her way outside. Avery looked around until her eyes settled on a small hill in the close distance. There was no way she could sense Kol following. Once the top of the hill was reached, she was surprised to see a small pond spread out in front of her. The lack of human voices and laughter put her at ease. Until now, her chest felt like it was pressed down so far that she couldn't properly breath. Now she took in deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Her arms crossed, the air was slightly cold now that the sun had gone down. As Kol watched her for a moment, he decided she wouldn't be one of his victims that night. His original plan was to attack as soon as they were alone. But he had noticed a new similarity. Even though physically there was no resemblance, this girl reminded him of Hayley. It was why he couldn't bring himself to murder her.

"Not enjoying the festivities?" Avery heard a voice question behind her. She jumped at it, not used to being snuck up on. The young man who just spoke had now moved to stand beside her. It seemed the stranger had no intention of apologizing for frightening her, even though it was apparent he had. He looked not too much older than her, maybe twenty or twenty-one. He was significantly taller than her average height. His irises were such a dark brown; they almost completely blended in with his pupils. There was an overconfident demeanor about him that already made Avery dislike him a bit. But he was very handsome; she couldn't deny that at all.

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to answer his question. Avery disliked talking to people she knew, so talking to complete strangers was even lower on her list of enjoyments. She shrugged her shoulders at his response, hoping it was enough of a reply to make him go away. Her almost rude answer made Kol smirk.

"I'm Kol Mikaelson." He said charmingly, offering his hand. Avery took it but was surprised when he lightly placed a kiss on her hand instead of shaking it. The gesture bothered her so much she refused to give her name like she knew he wanted. Most guys would be put off by her obvious disinterest, but it only made Kol more intrigued. "No need to tell me your name. I know who you are. Avery, isn't it? You're a Fell." He filled in the silence with true charm from the refusal of offering her name. Her stomach suddenly dropped when he stated he knew who she was. Avery waited for him to bring up her family like everyone else, turning back to the pond so she didn't have to look him in the eye when he did. But he never mentioned them. Either he didn't know or he didn't care. She glanced over at him again to see he still had on a smirk. Nothing seemed to falter him, she thought. Then she wondered how long he would stand there talking without her ever contributing to the conversation. When he'd first startled her, she found his voice somewhat off. But she'd soon realized it was because he had an accent.

"AVERY!" Both of them turned to see her aunt standing a significant distance away. Avery looked over at Kol to see that he appeared quite annoyed with the interruption. She didn't understand why, but he almost became scary. His eyes somehow seemed even blacker than before. How did he change so quickly from charming to so dark? She inhaled sharply and made her way down the hill, heading toward Meredith. When she finally reached her, she looked up at her aunt with a questioning look. She didn't understand why she sounded so upset.

Meredith glared over Avery's shoulder at Kol, only relaxing once she was right along side her. "Sorry. I just didn't know where you went. I sort of panicked a little. Maybe you should warn me next time you run off." She said to Avery who now almost felt bad. Even though she was old enough to do what she pleased, she saw that Meredith still felt responsible to be a guardian or parent-figure.

"Um…sorry. I didn't think you'd notice." Avery said awkwardly. They started walking back toward the Lockwood's house. She looked over her shoulder to where her and Kol had just been standing. But he'd disappeared. Meredith observed where she was looking. A frown appeared on her face.

"I see you've met one of the Mikaelsons." She tried to sound natural but her voice gave her away. Avery quickly turned from the hill to look at Meredith.

"You don't sound like you like them very much." She pointed out.

"No one in town really does. They've only caused everyone trouble. It's probably best you stay away from them, Kol especially." Meredith was being very vague. Before Avery could ask any more questions, they were back inside the house. The party seemed even louder than before, making it hard to talk over the crowd.

How could an entire town dislike one family? Avery thought. Her aunt was never a very judgmental person or one to view individuals from experience other than her own. It didn't really seem fair. Avery never really settled with other's observations. She liked or disliked people on her own, not caring what about what others thought. And right now, all Avery knew was that Kol was the only person who didn't feel the need to point out her family's death. He'd simply introduced himself to her. It seemed stupid, but those few minutes were the only part of the night that weren't completely awful. If anything, he took her mind off of all the unsettling things that now constantly encircled.

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**Hope anyone who is reading this is enjoying it :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Music**

******Giving Up - Ingrid Michaelson**

**Give Me Strength - Snow Patrol **(going to town)

**Reasons to Love You - Meiko **

* * *

Once Avery was forced to be social again, her eyes couldn't help but look around for Kol. At least he seemed somewhat amusing and she didn't have to force a smile on for him. He didn't seem to care if she did or not. But for the rest of the party, she never caught a glimpse of him again. At the end of the night, Avery asked herself if she was honestly disappointed in not seeing Kol Mikaelson again.

On the car ride home, she wanted to ask Meredith more about him. Avery needed to understand why her aunt disliked him and his family so much. But she knew better than to ask. It would only raise suspicion about her thoughts on him. And she didn't want Meredith assuming things that weren't true. When they were finally home, Meredith dropped her keys on the table by the door. Avery started heading for her room but her aunt stopped her.

"Thanks for going with me tonight, Avery. I should have warned you about everyone knowing about my sister. If it means anything…I think you handled it really well." Meredith said genuinely.

"It was fine." Avery muttered as she turned back around toward the direction of her room. But a thought suddenly formed in her head and she turned to face Meredith again. "Why did my mom hate Mystic Falls so much? Everyone seemed to like her that spoke to me. Why did she refuse to bring Jamie and me here?"

Avery knew the second she finished asking; her aunt also knew the answer. But Meredith looked awkwardly down at the ground. She didn't want to talk about it, at least, not yet. She took in a deep breath and walked closer to Avery so there wasn't the entire space of a room between them.

"Your mom never liked it here. She hated the whole founding family traditions and expectations. And I think she moved away because no matter what happened, she didn't want to be a part of it any longer. And once she had you and Jamie, she didn't want you to either." Meredith held her breath a second, seeing the effect her explanation had on her. But Avery believed what she said. But it still felt very vague. These days it seemed like everyone was keeping something from her. Obviously there was so much more to it than Meredith was allowing to be seen.

"Being a part of the founding families doesn't seem that bad…" Avery countered. It was her way of showing that she hadn't been fooled and she wasn't giving up that easily. There was something bigger going on. She knew it. But before Meredith could try and prove her wrong, Avery was in her bedroom. She closed the door behind her, shutting everything else out.

* * *

Avery had just finished getting ready when she opened the door of her bedroom. Meredith was nowhere to be found. There was a note on the refrigerator from her. _I got called into work suddenly. I left money on the table if I'm not home in time for dinner. Love, Meredith._ Avery glanced at the twenty-dollar bill on the table. Even if she wanted to go get something, she couldn't. She hadn't been able to get a car yet. Meredith told her she'd help her buy one as soon as she had a few days off of work. The whole situation was weird. She sold both her mom and dad's cars. With all of their bank accounts, her brother's savings, and her own funds, Avery had recently gained a disturbing amount of money. But she would give it all away if it meant having her family back.

Avery sighed at her lack of transportation. She went back to her bedroom and sat at the edge of her bed, staring around the plain room. Every time she stopped moving, her family popped in her mind. Their corpses threw themselves upon her. The blood, their lifeless eyes, and motionless bodies, it felt like it would haunt her forever. It was the worst at night while she lay awake, trying to fall asleep. She realized she needed to constantly be kept busy, distracting her mind with absolutely anything. Otherwise she couldn't get rid of them.

Sitting in the house was no longer an option. Avery grabbed her purse and keys, rushing out the door in frustration. The heart of Mystic Falls was only a few miles away. And she would rather walk there than spend another moment trapped with her thoughts. Even with a car, there was something about walks that Avery enjoyed. Occasionally she needed to get out and if she had no place to go, she would just walk. But sadly, the need was more frequent now than ever.

An hour or so of walking, she had finally hit the downtown area Meredith had taken her to get a dress. Avery looked around, trying to see where she wanted to go. A hardware store caught her attention. An idea suddenly popped into her head: a project that would get her mind off everything. She went inside the door and the cashier gave her a friendly smile she would never be able to mirror. The paint isle caught her notice. She was now faced with figuring out what exactly she wanted to do with her bedroom. Redecorating was definitely in order. Avery spent almost an hour getting all the supplies that she needed. The older man that smiled at her, when she first came in, was now checking her items out.

"You're the new Fell girl, aren't you?" He gave her a cheery smile. Avery only nodded. "Almost couldn't tell with that hair of yours." He laughed. She immediately knew what he was talking about. Her entire family had luscious brown hair. But she had inherited hair so black it almost appeared blue in the moonlight. It came from her dad's side. Avery just smiled and even let out a little laugh.

She walked out of the hardware store with three heavy bags. She realized she hadn't thought about the trip home. One bag was filled only with paint that was already straining her arm. There was no way she would be able to walk all the way back home. Avery sighed, breathing in the new summer air. She spotted a small coffee shop called Mystic Manor and decided to take a break inside before attempting the trip back home.

Right as she struggled to open the door with her hands full, one of her paper bags broke dropping three heavy cans of paint onto the sidewalk. Luckily none of them opened or she would have died of humiliation. "Renovating are we?" A voice said above Avery as she knelt down trying to pick up her stuff. She glanced up and was surprised to find Kol Mikaelson smirking at her. He didn't wait for a response before grabbing all of the things from her hands, holding the paint like they didn't weigh anything.

"Oh, thanks." She said softly. Avery hadn't been mentally prepared for such a run in. His presence had caught her off guard.

"So you do speak." Kol said with amusement. Avery became confused until she realized that she had never spoken during their first meeting. "I was beginning to think you were a mute." He waited to see if she would prove him wrong even further. But she stayed quiet, looking at him. Kol always said he liked girls with boldness, telling him off when he knew he was pushing the limits. But Avery was nothing like that and yet she interested him in a way no one else ever had.

"Where is your car?" He asked her while he gestured with his head toward her things he was currently holding. He half expected her not to answer him.

"I don't have one yet. I walked here." Avery watched him as she spoke. The more he heard her voice the more it seemed to make him smirk. Even though she was rather quiet, when she did speak, her voice was in no way shy. Being silent didn't mean she wasn't confident; she was actually quite the opposite.

"Well then, I believe I shall give you a ride home. It would be the cordial thing to do for a newcomer of Mystic Falls." Kol said charmingly. Avery couldn't catch what exactly, but there was something comical in the way he addressed her. He almost seemed to be mocking her or any person who would genuinely answer with such a response. If she had never met or spoke with him, but saw Kol from a distance, she would never have predicted to be spoken to in such a way.

Her thoughts were interrupted when someone came out of the coffee shop door that was only a foot or two away. A man, who appeared about the same age as Kol, almost ran over Avery while looking at the paper. He stopped immediately.

"I'm sorry, I got a little distracted." He said. Avery saw he was wearing a police uniform. And she couldn't help but notice he wasn't all that bad looking either with his green eyes and dark blonde hair. He couldn't be more than twenty-two years old. He looked at Avery for a moment. "You're Avery, Meredith's niece." He said confidently to her. She nodded.

He held out his hand. "Ben Phillips. I'm the new sheriff in town."

"Nice to meet you." Avery said back as she shook his hand. That was when she noticed him taking in Kol. She looked at Kol who was completely ignoring the sheriff. Apparently her aunt was right, no one in town liked his family.

"I don't believe we've officially met." Sheriff Phillips said to Kol. "Sheriff Phillips, you're one of the Mikaelson's, right?" Kol hesitated at the offered hand, glancing at it almost with disgust. Avery could swear she saw a hint of pain in the officer's face when Kol finally shook his hand. And Kol's charm had disappeared, leaving only an angry aura around him.

"Kol." He presented. "Aren't you a little young to be member of law enforcement?" Kol asked with an insulting tone. There was no hiding it; anyone would notice. And by how she measured the sheriff's face, he most definitely did.

"There was a position open that was necessary to fill immediately. I guess the town thought I was a good match for the job. A lot of things have happened. It was clear a serious change needed to be made." Sheriff Phillips said seriously. Avery wondered what he was talking about that had happened. For him to be talking about it in such a way, it must be pretty severe.

Kol squinted his eyes. "They must have been quite desperate then."

Avery stood silently watching the exchange. The sheriff didn't seem to feel the need to answer Kol's lively remarks. She was started to understand how Kol had received his reputation. She decided to clear her throat, reminding them she was there and to stop any more verbal assaults.

"Where were you off to?" Sheriff Phillips turned to speak to Avery. He was able to lighten his mood quickly. Unlike Kol, who still glared at the police officer.

"I thought I'd pick up some things from town. I was just about to walk back home." She started grabbing all her things from Kol but he turned away slightly so she wasn't able to reach them easily.

"You walked?" Sheriff Phillips asked a little surprised. Apparently, he knew how much of a distance it was. "I'm still on break, I could drop you off real quick." Avery could tell he was trying to be friendly. It was appreciated but unnecessary.

Just as Avery was about to decline the offer, Kol interrupted her. "How kind, but she was already on her way back with me." He lied with an evil gleam in his eye. Avery tried to open her mouth to correct him but he was lightly pushing her away. She looked over at her shoulder to see Sheriff Phillips looking fairly concerned but tried to hide it as much as he could.

Kol led her to a nearby parking lot. He stopped at a black F12 Berlinetta Ferrari. Avery tried to act natural and smooth as he opened the passenger door for her. He put her things in the trunk before smoothly getting in the driver's seat.

"Well the sheriff didn't seem to pleased about you taking me home." Avery pointed out as they sped out of the parking lot onto the street.

"Is that so? I guess I wasn't paying attention." Kol responded.

"You have quite a mouth on you, talking to authority figures that way." Avery said with a small smile. She was annoyed by his arrogance, but at the same time, she couldn't deny that it was slightly entertaining. But she would never tell him that. He glanced at her, eyebrows raised at her brash observation.

"I say what I please." He told her.

Avery shook her head before turning to glance out the window. "I guess that explains why the town has given you such a bad reputation."

"Reputations are my prized processions. I quite enjoy them. What is it this time?" He asked. Avery caught the way he spoke of it, like he was constantly receiving new ones. Did he move around a lot or something? She immediately regretted the words as soon as Kol responded. Maybe he wasn't aware how negative they were or maybe he just didn't care.

"Nothing. I guess you're some kind of troublemaker or something." She tried to play it off but she wasn't as smooth as him. Being quiet never made her a good liar. Charming and suave people were always the best liars, and she was neither of those. Avery felt like she had been saved as Kol pulled into Meredith's driveway. Most would have been confused by the fact he knew where she lived without being told. But she just blamed it on how clearly small and nosy Mystic Falls was.

Kol parked the car and looked over at Avery. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Your aunt told you to stay away from me." He affirmed. Her mouth opened slightly, about to tell a lie. But she stopped herself, not really seeing the point in attempting to it again when he was obviously very perceptive.

"I should go inside." She explained uncomfortably. Kol didn't respond. He was already outside of the car, grabbing her things. Avery sighed, not bothering to try and explain she could take them herself. She led him to the front door.

With her foot in the door, she took the things from Kol. "Thanks for the help…and the ride." Her smile was very minor.

"You know, the polite thing would be to ask me inside." Kol challenged.

Avery looked at him a moment, trying to see if he was really serious. She shook her head and laughed a little when she realized that he was. "Bye Kol." She said before closing the door.

* * *

**So a few people were asking about Avery's appearance. I was going for Kaya Scodelario. And as for Ben Phillips, Alex Pettyfer. Hope you guys are a liking the story for anyone who is :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to all who gave me lovely reviews. They made me smile :)**

**Music**

**About Today - The National **(Redecorating/talking)

**Caroline's Revelation - Michael Suby **(Closet)

**Red Eyes and Tears - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club **(The Grill)

* * *

Avery made herself busy for the entire day. She moved all the furniture around, painting the walls a dark turquoise. The color was unlike her usual taste but she thought she needed a little brightness in her life. The boxes of all her stuff, that had been finally shipped, now was unpacked and put in its rightful place. Avery had streamed dangling lights along all her window rods. Her sheer curtains now looked even more dreamlike with the lights sparkling around them.

The sun had set almost an hour ago and Avery was just finishing vacuuming when Meredith came in. "Looks like someone was busy today." She smiled at her niece as she looked around the room.

"I hope you don't mind all the changes and everything." Avery said nervously. It hadn't occurred to her that the variations would bother her aunt until now.

Meredith shook her head. "Are you kidding me? It looks about ten times better. I would never have made it this amazing."

Avery smiled shyly, almost proud of the work she'd done. "How was work?"

Her aunt's smile faltered a little bit as her job was brought up. "Oh…it was fine. Just an emergency they needed me to go into a surgery right away. There was a pretty bad animal attack." Avery didn't catch the fib. She was still doing some final touches on the walls.

"Actually, I'm about to go to a town meeting. You found the money I gave you for dinner right?" Meredith lied again slightly. There was a secret council meeting that she was required to go to. She couldn't skip any more. It was a miracle her medical license hadn't been taken away because of Alaric. Her every move was now being monitored. One step out of line and Meredith might be forced to leave town.

She looked around at all the supplies Avery had got. "How did you get all of this stuff anyways?" Meredith asked, impressed.

Avery finally looked away from painting the walls. "Oh…umm…I walked to town. But I didn't really think about having to walk back home with all this stuff. Luckily, I ran into Kol. He offered to drive me home." She said it quickly, hoping that her aunt would miss the Mikaelson name. But that was asking for too much.

Meredith's eyes widened but she tried to remain calm. "Kol Mikaelson drove you home? Was he inside the house?"

"No. He just walked me to the door. Why? Do you really hate him that much that he can't come inside your house?" Her aunt's concern annoyed Avery. Other than his defiant remarks, Kol didn't seem as harmful as Meredith claimed.

But Meredith ignored her questions and relaxed when she distinguished Kol hadn't been invited in. "Just…I don't want to tell you what to do, Avery. I'm not your mother; I know that. But Kol is only trouble." She sighed and glanced down at her watch. "Listen, I have to go. I probably won't be home until pretty late tonight. Are you okay here by yourself?" She questioned, worried.

Avery shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Meredith nodded and closed the bedroom dorm behind her. Avery listened for a moment. Her aunt seemed to be quickly grabbing things from a closet in the house. She was trying to be quiet but Avery had a pretty good sense of hearing. She waited for Meredith to leave the house before opening her door again.

She looked around to see where Meredith had been searching around. There was a closet door that didn't shut all the way. Next to the dinner table that she had yet to use since she'd arrived. Avery looked around; feeling like her aunt was still there even though she'd heard her leave. She slowly walked over to the door, hesitating with her hand on the doorknob before finally opening it. Nothing special seemed to be hidden inside. There were coats, blankets on the shelves, and random junk strewn about. Avery wondered what she expected to find. Her boredom had made her paranoid and meddlesome. She shook her head at how ridiculous she was being. Just as she was about to give up, feeling like she had become completely pathetic, something caught her eye. On the clothes rod, right in front of her, the metal was faded and scratched in a specific spot. It was only a few inches of damage. Meredith clearly had been moving hangers in that spot for some reason. Avery reached forward and pushed jackets out of the way. On the wall behind was a hidden compartment. She narrowed her eyes. What was her aunt trying to hide?

Avery carefully removed the door and saw a single box sitting on the other side. She brought it out and placed it onto the top of a table. There was a moment of hesitation before opening the lid. Avery asked herself if she really wanted to know what was hidden inside the box. If Meredith went through all the trouble of hiding this, perhaps it was something Avery would regret figuring out. But the temptation was too great, she took off the lid and fingered through its contents. There were half a dozen files with people's names written on top. William Forbes, Alaric Saltzman, and Brian Walters were a few of the labels. Avery didn't recognize any of them. But she opened all of their files. Dozens of pictures were stacked in each person's file. Many of them died of horrible animal attacks. Their necks were ripped open, but there was so much blood she couldn't clearly see where all their injuries were. Two cases stood out to Avery. One was Ben Walters. Avery swore her aunt used to talk about him. He was her high school sweetheart and dumped her on the night of prom or something along those lines. There was a picture of him, dead on a forest floor with what seemed to be a wooden stake jabbed into his heart. _Who would use a stake to kill someone?_ Avery wondered. Another peculiar case was Alaric Saltzman. She saw that he had been in the hospital not long before his untimely death. But what Avery found odd was how there were no pictures of him when he was dead. There were no photos of his corpse in the mortuary or anything.

Avery couldn't stop looking at the cases. They intrigued her but made her sick at the same time. She still couldn't figure out why Meredith felt the need to hide all of them in a hidden compartment of her closet. It was understandable to care to investigate her patients' cases, trying to see what she could have done. But it still didn't explain the fact that they had been concealed. Avery was about to put everything away when she saw something at the bottom of the box. It was three more files that had been laid flat underneath all the others. Avery swore her heart stopped as she read the names on the files. Sandra Fell-Jones, Gregory Jones, and Jamie Jones. Meredith somehow had the investigation and medical reports of Avery's family. Tears filled Avery's eyes as she opened them up. There were pictures and notes from detectives she had never met during the investigation. But what troubled her the most were their pictures. She never got close enough to see the details of their deaths. Both her parents and brother had a picture of their necks. It seemed there were two dots on their necks as if a giant snake's fangs bit them. But in between the two marks was a line cut into the skin, connecting them. From what Avery learned in anatomy classes, the cuts looked as if they'd been made after her family had already died. The lack of swelling and blood proved it. Sure enough, as she read the file, the medical examiner had declared the same thing.

Avery stopped thinking about it. She was angry now, angry that her aunt had possession of such material and decided to hide it. And she was angry that reading the files didn't change anything. It didn't matter in what horrible manor they were killed because it didn't change the fact that they were still dead. Nothing would change that and nothing would make it better.

Avery shoved everything back into its same place, hiding it back in the closet. Just before she shut the door, she noticed an old gym bag also sitting in the hidden compartment. But Avery was too worked up to care about it. Meredith probably had extra medical supplies in it. Perhaps it was expensive stuff she stole from the hospital. It didn't matter because Avery's initial curiosity had been replaced with her resentment and grief. She grabbed her house keys and slammed the house front door behind her. Avery walked into the night, not caring where she was going. As long as it was far away from her haunted past, it was good enough.

* * *

Meredith left earlier from her house than necessary. The council meeting didn't start for another hour. But she needed to make a stop beforehand. She parked her car outside of the town's hot spot, The Mystic Grill. Meredith knew she'd find him here. It was the least boring spot in town.

She stomped inside. Her eyes glanced around the restaurant but didn't find who she was looking for. But as soon as her gaze made its way to the bar, she spotted him. Before making her way over, she inhaled deeply in preparation. Meredith tried to calm her heart, knowing it would show him that she wasn't as brave as she was showing. When she was only a few feet away from him, he noticed her walking toward him.

Kol had his signature smirk on. It was full of mischief and a mysteriousness that most women obsessed over. "I wondered when you'd show yourself." He said smoothly to her. His back leaned against the bar as he stood with a drink in his hand. His sister Rebekah stood next to him, looking curiously at Meredith.

"Stay away from Avery. If you're trying to get back at the founding families, or me, fine. But she has nothing to do with this. So leave her out of it. She's been through enough." Meredith hissed the words with anger. She probably wouldn't have found the strength if they weren't in a public place.

Kol eyed her a moment before replying. He could hear true fear in her voice. Not for her own safety but for Avery's. And there was love there too. "She already seems quite sad. Why shouldn't I just end her misery now? I have to say, she smells like she'd be quite a taste." Kol said darkly. His words caused a smile from his sister. But Meredith just looked horrified. Kol smiled even more at the reaction he caused. "I must say I'm utterly impressed with your bravery, especially without your pathetic vampire hunter here to protect you. Now that I think about it… Where is he? Oh, that's right. I remember. He's dead." The vampire's eyes started getting darker. Thinking about Alaric brought back the night he died and everything he caused with it. If somehow he had survived that night, Kol would have killed him again for what he did.

He moved off the bar, to step closer to Meredith. He could smell the fear radiating off of her. But she kept her face fearless and collected. "What's preventing me from killing you right now? Do you really think all these people watching would stop me? It only makes it more tempting. I'm always one for dramatics." Kol almost whispered to her. It caused chills to run across Meredith's body.

"Dramatics? I love dramatics." A body appeared at Meredith's side. Kol stepped away to see Damon eyeing him. He sneered at the younger vampire.

"Don't you have a baby vamp to be babysitting?" Kol asked him. "You can thank my sister for that." He sneered. But Damon glared at Rebekah; she didn't find Kol's comment entertaining. She refused to meet Damon's blue eyes. Kol took a sip of his drink before gesturing toward Meredith. "And I guess you can thank her too. Otherwise your lovely Elena would _really_ be dead."

"Last time I checked, you had your own to watch over. How is Hayley doing these days? Killed anyone yet?" Damon countered with a smile. He knew she was a sore subject. If Kol planned on going for the low blows, he would go even lower.

"Not that I've heard. Though I'm sure she has better self-control than your pathetic brother, Stefan. Has he returned to his bunny diet?" Kol mocked. Meredith grabbed Damon's jacket, pulling him away. She knew leaving him there would only make things worse. "Lovely seeing you again, Meredith. And Damon, always a pleasure." Kol raised his glass at them as he watched them move on.

Damon walked Meredith over to the exit. "What the hell was that all about?" He asked her. Damon didn't hide how idiotic he thought she'd been. She knew Damon tried to act like he was the bad guy. But deep down inside, he cared about some of the people in this town. And for some reason, he felt like he should watch over Meredith a little. But she was the last girl Alaric cared about. He would never admit it, and she didn't really realize it was going on. He was one of the few Damon could really call a friend.

"I know! It was stupid. I just panicked. Kol has taken a certain interest in my niece. I didn't know what else to do. I'm scared he's planning something." She said almost pitifully. Damon sort of felt sorry for her. "Thanks for helping me out back there, Damon. But I have to go." Before he could ask her any more, she bolted outside to her car.

* * *

**To anyone reading, hope you are enjoying it. I will try to update as soon as I can. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Enjoy.**

**Music**

**Society - Eddie Vedder **(walking)

**Knocked Up - Kings of Leon **(car)

**Still Life - The Horrors **(Party)

**Under the Midnight Sun - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross **(Chase)

**Line by Line - The Walkmen **(Kol)

* * *

Mystic Falls was a quiet town to those who were ignorant to its perils. Avery was one of the ignorant. Crickets and occasional owl were the only sounds. The nature in the area was quite beautiful. She walked under the streetlights of vacant roads. Avery thought she would have really appreciated it if she had come to the town under any other circumstances. There was a slight breeze that caused her black hair to flutter around her face. She got the chills suddenly, but it didn't come from the wind. It was some sort of instinct. Avery did a 360 turn swiftly. But she was completely alone, as far as her vision could tell. Avery was about to consider declaring herself insane with how she'd started behaving. But she remembered learning about ESP in psychology. The feeling was rarely all in people's heads. And she swore she'd felt like someone was watching her. The walk was supposed to let off some steam, but somehow it only made it worse. To what extremes would she go in order to stop thinking about it all? She already felt ridiculous that she redid her entire room just to distract herself. With her hands shoved into her jean pockets, she shook her head at how hard it had become to control her thoughts.

Avery was so mentally lost, she didn't notice a light blue pick-up truck slow down beside her on the road. She snapped her head up, scared by how she hadn't been paying attention enough to notice it sooner. Her body relaxed a little when she saw that it was a boy her age looking back at her.

"You probably shouldn't be walking by yourself at night." The boy laughed but there was seriousness to what he said that she caught. Avery shrugged her shoulders, not slowing down to make it easier for him to talk to her.

"Are you lost?" He asked. She shook her head. "Can I drop you off somewhere?" She shook her head again. He sighed in frustration. Avery let out a sigh when he raced the car forward. But her relief was shortly lived when she looked ahead to see him pull the car over onto the shoulder. He got out and held his hands up in surrender to show he meant no harm. Avery couldn't be scared of him after that. Somehow, she knew that he was one of the few good ones left in the world.

"Look, I can't just let you walk down the road alone. I promise, I'm completely harmless. Can you at least give me your name?" He walked over to her until he matched her pace, walking along side. But he kept his distance, making sure not to scare her in any way.

Avery stopped finally and turned to really look at him. _Were all the boys in this town good-looking in some way? _She asked herself. He was tall, blonde and blue-eyed: the typical male star in any romantic comedy or high school movie. He smiled at how she was finally acknowledging him.

"I'm Matt Donovan." He held out his hand carefully, not knowing if she would take it or not. Avery gave him a small smile. She was right about him being one of the good ones. Anyone would be able to tell just by looking at him.

She shook his hand. "Avery Jones."

His eyebrows instantly rose at her name. "So that's why I don't recognize you. I'm actually a friend of your aunt. If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing walking out here all by yourself?" His hands were in the pockets of his denim jacket. Avery opened her mouth to give some sort of explanation but stopped. There was no way she could tell him her real reason. Matt waited patiently. He knew somehow that she was really quiet. And he respected it.

"Well, whatever the reason, the stereotype of nothing happening in small towns isn't really that true. Do you want me to give you a ride back home?" Matt asked her slowly. But Avery immediately shook her head no. "Ok then…actually I was on my way to this stupid start of the summer party. Do you want to come with? There's a bunch of people going."

Going to a party sounded like a horrible idea. And that is exactly why Avery started consider going. She told herself she needed a distraction. Parties were full of distractions. She looked up at Matt. "Sure." Avery said softly. Her response earned her a huge smile from Matt. He gestured to follow him to his car.

He said the house they were going to was only a few minutes away. She only nodded, not really caring how long it would take to get there. The silence filled the car. Apparently Avery could handle it more than Matt.

"I'm really sorry about your family. I heard about what happened. And it's just…I'm really sorry." He said quietly. Avery would usually think how sick she was of everyone bringing it up. But when Matt gave his condolences, they actually felt sincere. Avery could feel real empathy from him. She wondered if somehow he knew a little bit of how she actually felt.

"Thanks." She replied, looking away from the window to him. That was when she saw sorrow in his eyes. She recognized it, for nowadays it was a familiar sight when she looked in the mirror at her own.

They were now passing over a bridge. A wooden sign that looked fairly knew was picketed into the ground that read Wickery Bridge. In Avery's peripheral, she notice Matt's grip on the steering wheel tighten. His gaze hardened on the road ahead. It was like he was trying not to look at his surroundings. Then his hands were starting to faintly tremor.

"Are you okay?" Avery asked sincerely.

Matt glanced over at her. He laughed nervously. "Is it that obvious?" But she didn't answer his question, only waited for him to continue. Matt sighed. "A little over a month ago, I drove my car off this bridge. It still bothers me driving on it. But you can't get from one side of town to the other without it."

"You don't have to be embarrassed. That's a traumatic thing to go through. It wouldn't be normal for you to get over it instantly. You should be pleased that you're able to even drive over it." Avery surprised herself with her encouraging words. Matt seemed to bring out the best in her, oddly enough. He looked over at her quickly with the warmest smile. Clearly what she said made him feel better.

A few minutes later, he pulled over to a grassy area on the side of a road. There were cars everywhere. In the distance, there was an orange glow Avery was able to see. It was probably a bonfire. As they got out of the car, Avery could already hear voices and music. Matt walked over to her side.

He glanced at her before they reached where the party was taking place. "You don't have to worry Everyone's pretty friendly here." He stopped. She followed but still looked ahead instead of at him. "Here, I'll give you my number if we get separated for some reason. If you want to go, I promise I'll drive you home. Ok?" Avery finally looked at him carefully, relaxing a bit. He was so nice and she couldn't remember the last time she met someone as genuine as Matt.

They were in an actual forest. The bonfire was set right before the woods fully engulfed them. There were over a hundred teenagers scattered about. Matt stuck to Avery's side when they first got there. He introduced her to all of his friends. Almost everyone knew who she was as soon as her name was said. But unlike all of their parents at the founding family party, they didn't feel the need to bring up her personal tragedy with every single introduction. It made her more comfortable than last time.

Eventually, Avery felt bad sticking to Matt's side like glue. She gradually drifted away to do her own thing. Since trees covered the grounds, it was ridiculously dark at the party. The only light source they had was little slits of moonlight some branches would allow to past, the large bonfire at the forest opening, and a few scattered fires in metal trashcans. The dimness caused Avery to stumble into a stranger.

"Oh, sorry!" She quickly apologized. Then she looked up to see a boy smiling down at her. She regained her footing. Although it was far too dark for her to really get a good look at him. He seemed pretty ordinary to her.

"It's cool. You came with Matt, right? You're Avery: the new girl in town." He said casually. She only nodded. Everyone knowing her was starting to get quite annoying. There was no smooth way of confirming what they already distinguished.

"I'm Chase by the way. I played football with Donovan all throughout high school. Good guy. You look a little lost. Can I get you a drink?" He asked Avery. She was ashamed to admit it, but alcohol sounded amazing at that moment.

"Sure. I'll come with you." She said to him but he already shrugged her off.

"No, I got it. Stay here. I'll be back in a second." Before she could argue, he had disappeared into the darkness. Avery waited awkwardly alone. People would continue to pass her but they couldn't see well enough to bother looking at her. A few minutes later, Chase was back with two drinks. Avery muttered her thanks. She took a sip; glad it was some time of mixed drink instead of beer.

"Welcome to Mystic Falls." Chase said as he raised his cup. Avery rolled her eyes but he didn't catch it. She gently hit her cup with his and then chugged its entire contents in a few gulps.

"Nicely done." Chase said, impressed. She had half expected him to be put off by her actions and she honestly didn't care. This was exactly what she had been wishing for: a distraction. It may not have been the best or smartest choice, but it was all she had at the moment. Avery's actions weren't true to her in any way. But she decided to ignore her recent loss of self.

"Let's get some more." She said coolly. He nodded in agreement. Chase grabbed her hand, leading her around trees and various groups of people. The contact annoyed Avery but she didn't bother pulling it away. She'd stopped caring about everything as soon as she'd made this choice. He brought her to a car that had been pulled into the woods, the trunk was open to use as a makeshift bar. Chase chatted for a few minutes with the guys tending the alcohol. He didn't bother including Avery and she didn't really mind. After awhile, one of them handed them two more drinks. She caught him wink at Chase before they left.

Avery drank half of it immediately. Then she started to remember she was with a complete stranger. If she really wanted to get drunk, she should be doing it around Matt. She trusted him even though they'd just met. But Chase was already dragging her further into the woods. He was weaving in and out so much that there was no way Avery would be able to find her way back on her own.

"Where are we going?" Avery asked. She was suddenly feeling hot and a little lightheaded. It usually took a significant amount of alcohol before she felt any such symptoms. Something was wrong. "Chase, where are we going?" She asked again.

"I want to show you something." He muttered quickly. The further he took her into the woods, the less people they saw. A few minutes later, Chase stopped walking. They were now completely secluded from the party. Avery could hardly hear them in the distance. But she was also drastically confused by how she was feeling. Her body felt like it had a fever and all the trees looked like they were swaying abnormally.

"Where's Matt?" Avery muttered, blinking slowly to see if it would help.

"Who cares?" Chase snapped.

Before she even had time to panic, he threw himself on her. His lips collided into hers and he shoved her against a tree. His tongue shoved its way into her mouth. Avery could hardly breath. She couldn't concentrate on anything at all. Her brain continued to tell her to fight, but there was no response. Her body was no longer her own. She seemed to be watching the experience from outside of her form.

"Get off me." She felt like she was yelling it, but her words came out weak. He took of her sweater, throwing it on dirt ground. "Please, stop." She begged. But he ignored any pleas toward him. His hand was at the zipper of his jeans while the other held her still. Avery was slowly fading. Her vision was blurring and everything looked like it was vibrating. She felt her mind sluggishly shutting down.

Abruptly, Chase was no longer shoving her against the tree. But Avery couldn't comprehend whatever was happening any longer. Her body shut off her mind; her brain wasn't processing anything her vision picked up. She couldn't even think, let alone be terrified.

Kol grabbed the boy by his collar, shoving him against a large tree.

"Get the fuck off me!" Chase yelled as he tried to pry himself free. But releasing Kol's grip was like trying to break steel. He started to panic, seeing that he was clearly the weak one now. His eyes looked into Kol's as the vampire's changed into their true form. His brown irises were now surrounded by a deep crimson. Shadows formed under, veins exposing just beneath. Kol opened his mouth to uncover his razor sharp fangs. Chase's heartbeat was racing while he frantically tried to release himself again. When he realized he was completely helpless, Chase began yelling at the top of his lungs. Kol smirked at how pitiful it was.

Kol's eyes locked with his. "Shh. Shh. Shh." He taunted. "If I plan on enjoying this, you will stay conscious until the very second your heart stops beating. You will feel every bit of pain, only ending with your death. Do you understand?" He asked his victim. Chase nodded his head as he was compelled. He shook uncontrollably; even with the mind tricks his body was fully aware that he was about to die.

Chase screeched in pain when he felt a piercing into his neck. With this punctured flesh, blood gushed down his skin. Just like Kol demanded, he stayed aware of every shot of agony. It only took a few minutes for him to die. But to the victim, they suffered excruciatingly slow. Kol finally dropped the young boy's body. It hit the ground, his eyes staring blankly up at the stars. Kol wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

But his attention was diverted when his ears picked up another heartbeat. So faint, it came to his hearing like a whisper. Kol turned and saw Avery leaning up against a tree for support. Her lids were half closed. Whatever Chase had done to her, it was making her to disorient to function. Kol wasn't familiar with all the drugs available in this day in age. But he did know a few cups of alcohol didn't do this.

Kol carefully walked to her side. He glanced down to see her sweater thrown on the ground. He picked it up to see that one of the sleeves was ripped off. He looked back at the dead body. If he could, he'd kill him all over again. Kol lifted up her chin to look Avery in the eyes. Suddenly her body couldn't hold itself up anymore. She slowly slid down the tree. Kol glanced around the woods even though his heightened hearing had already told him they were completely alone.

In one swift movement, Kol picked up her small body into his arms. Her head rested against his chest but the rest of her was completely limp. At vampire speed, Kol took her away from the party. He slowed down once they were closer to her house. "Kol?" He heard faintly. Avery kept falling in and out of consciousness. And for one of her alert moments, she had her eyes open long enough to recognize him. But before he could give an accurate response, she was asleep once again.

In a few minutes, Kol was outside Meredith Fell's house. But once he walked up the porch steps to the front door, he realized he still hadn't been invited in. He listened for Meredith, even though he preferred she didn't get involved. She would assume the absolute worst. Not that Kol cared at all. It would just add an unnecessary problem. But there was only silence in the house. Carefully, he placed Avery on her feet but never let go of her weight.

"Avery. Avery, look at me." Kol urged her awake. By some miracle, Avery's eyes gradually opened at she looked at me. "You need to invite me inside. Can you do that for me?" He asked. She nodded. "You must say it aloud." Kol urged.

"Come inside." Avery's voice was so quiet and feeble; it was incredible that he was able to hear it even with his sensitive hearing. The invitation was so slurred, Kol wondered if it would actually allow him to enter the house. He picked Avery up again as he turned the doorknob. Then he cautiously waved one of his hands into the entrance, testing to see if he could truly enter. But it worked.

Kol immediately shut the door behind him. The house was rather small and only had two bedrooms that broke off from the main areas. He walked over to the room on the left. As soon as he walked in, he knew it was hers. The windows lined on two of the corner walls were left wide open. He could smell fresh paint drying. Empty cardboard boxes were piled on top of each other in one of the corners. Kol softly placed Avery's body on top of the bed that was neatly made. He sat on the end of her bed for a moment, closely observing Avery.

He watched her uneven breathing. A gust of wind blew into the room, causing her long black hair to spread across the pillow her head laid on. The color almost seemed to glow a midnight blue under the moonlight. Kol asked himself what made him do it. Why did he go out of his way to save a young woman? He was annoyed by her pull on him. He didn't quite understand it. Plus, the fact she was human, bothered him. His view of their species had changed drastically since his awakening. After, he soon learned that when mixing them and vampires, it only finished in pain and death. Hayley had proved that to him. He had loved about her and he brought her to a human death. Kol had watched as Alaric snapped her neck right in front of him. She was the first human for him to truly care about. And he always told himself it would also be the last. But here he was, watching over another. _Was it the same as before? _He wondered. But Kol told himself that Avery and Hayley were too different for it to be trapped together and declared to have the same outcome.

He just looked at Avery and recognized how he'd been forced to do something good for her sake. He couldn't remember a time where he'd saved someone's life besides those of his family. Yes, he had once done the same for Hayley. But she was now the part of the Mikaelsons. After Kol left Mystic Falls, he threw himself into his old ways, fulfilling all the horrible reputations he'd been given long ago. Was this girl the one to truly change him?

Kol rose from the bed and walked toward the door. Right before shutting it behind him, he gave her one last look at Avery. Then he disappeared back into the night, leaving no evidence that he had ever been there.

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**Would it be too much to ask for the thoughts of anyone reading? Review? please?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Music**

**Unarmed - Mariah McManus **(Waking Up)

**I'm An Animal - Neko Case **(Matt&Avery)

**Sparks - Jesse Woods **(Kol)

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Avery slowly woke up when the sun was shining in her eyes. She looked over at the clock to see that it was almost one in the afternoon. It caused her to blink a few times. Everything felt normal until she looked around and the confusion settled in. How did she get back to her house and in her bed? Avery panicked when her mind couldn't piece together any memory of last night after she met Chase. When she mentally grasped the name, Avery felt sick. She rushed off her bed and ran to her bathroom. She was barely quick enough to lift up the toilet seat before throwing up. Her throat burned and her eyes felt like they were going to come out of her sockets. A thin layer of sweat covered her skin.

After she felt like her body had rejected everything in her stomach, Avery rested her head on the cold porcelain. The bathroom was dark since she didn't remember to turn on the lights in her rush. Her breaths were deep and sounded painful. She didn't know if the thought of what might have happened last night made her sick or if it was the drugs she'd clearly been given.

Avery pushed herself away from the toilet and leaned against the edge of the bathtub. She tried to piece together just one thing that happened last night but it was all blackness. The last thing she could recall was meeting Chase and having a drink. She pushed her mind to remember something that would tell her if the worst had happened or by some miracle she'd been spared. But it was useless; no new information came back to her. Now she was suddenly aware of an excruciating headache. She placed her head between her knees out of frustration and discomfort. A few minutes past with her like that.

Eventually, she picked herself up, took off her clothes, and turned on boiling hot water in the shower. The water felt like it was washing away all the worries she had. Her face was in her hands as the hot temperature was close to burning her skin. Avery knew she would have to get out sooner or later, but she didn't want to. The world had become a scary place. While some people were ignorant to how lucky they were to have certain happiness, she knew how cruel the world could truly be.

After taking a shower for almost an hour, Avery forced herself to get out. She couldn't hide from everything forever. A few minutes after she was dressed in an old swim team t-shirt and oversized sweatpants; there was a knock on her bedroom door. Meredith slowly opened the door. "There's someone here to see you." She tried not to act like it was a big deal. But Avery could tell her aunt was excited that she had possibly made a friend.

The split second before Meredith opened the door wider, Avery was surprised by who she hoped it would be. Kol Mikaelson immediately popped into her mind. She didn't understand where it came from or why. But she was only slightly disappointed when Matt stood in the doorway instead. He looked tremendously relieved to see her.

Meredith was beaming. Clearly she thought there was more than a friendship going on between them. She winked mockingly and smiled at Avery before shutting the door again. Matt turned to make sure it was fully shut before he addressed her.

"What's going on?" Avery asked. She could tell he didn't come over just to hang out like her aunt believed. He had appeared worried until he saw her.

"How did you get home last night? I texted and called you like thirty times." He quickly whispered making sure his voice was quiet enough that Meredith wouldn't overhear. It warmed Avery's heart how genuinely worried he sounded.

Avery's pulse started racing when she tried to think about the answer again. It was a question she had asked herself over and over again still. She slowly moved to the bed and sadly looked up at him. "I…I don't know. Do you know who Chase is?" She asked him quietly.

His eyes widened at the mentioning of the name. "Yeah, I know him."

Avery ran her fingers through her hair that was still wet from her shower. She didn't know how to tell Matt what she wanted to say. What if he didn't take her seriously or thought she was lying? Chase could be a really good friend of his for all she knew. Avery breathed in deeply. "I think he spiked my drink. The last thing I remember is meeting him and he got me a drink." She looked up at Matt to see how he was reacting to what she said and if he understood what she was trying to tell him. "I don't know what happened at all last night. I just woke up here." Her voice started to shake. She put her face in her hands as tears started falling. The bed moved as she felt Matt sit down on the edge close to her.

"Avery." He said so softly that it forced her to look at him. "The cops found Chase dead in the forest this morning. An animal attacked him. That's why I was so worried about you." He said it slowly; scared the news would put her into a frantic shock. But Avery just looked at him. "I believe you…what you said about him putting something in your drink. He didn't have the greatest of reputations. I should've been with you, Avery. I'm so sorry. You wouldn't have even been at that party if it hadn't been for me." Matt was staring forward. He was lost in thoughts that Avery would never be able to figure out. He knew that Chase didn't die from an animal attack. It was a vampire. There was so many in their town these days, it was hard to guess which one. That's what made Matt want to befriend Avery. She was human, just like him. And he treasured how he might make a friend that was ignorant to all the rest of the crazy stuff that went on. But he would've blamed only himself if she had been killed by it all because he dragged her to a stupid party.

"It's fine, Matt. You were trying to be nice. And I'm fine so stop being so hard on yourself." Avery wiped her eyes and kept sniffing since her nose had become runny. "I know this sounds weird, but I don't think he did anything. I woke up in my own bed, in my clothes from last night. It doesn't make sense." She looked at Matt. But her gaze was distant, trying to put together everything.

"That's good." Matt said encouragingly. "But it still doesn't explain how the hell you got back here." He countered.

"I know…maybe I walked back home." Avery offered, but anyone would be able to hear the lack of confidence in her guess. She shook her head to show Matt that it was a stupid idea. "Thanks for checking to see if I was alive." She laughed darkly. "Although, I think my aunt believes we're dating now."

That caused Matt to laugh too. He looked around the room at the in between redecorating process. Avery noticed it. "Sorry. My room's kind of a disaster. I'm in the process of making it my own. I still have to unpack a few more things and organize everything. And I think I need to add another layer of paint too." She observed as Matt nodded.

"Want some help?" He offered.

Avery smiled at his suggestion but shook her head. "That's nice but you really don't have to. It's pretty boring and time consuming."

But Matt was already off the bed. He took of his letterman jacket and threw it on his bed. "I need a little boring in my life. And I happen to be a fantastic painter. My friend Caroline always forced me to help our school's committee set up for every parade and dance."

"Well…ok. If you really want to." Avery said quietly. She started pulling out a tarp to stop any paint from dripping on the light wooden floors. Matt helped her and they started right away.

The second coat took half the time than when Avery had first painted the room by herself. She was grateful for Matt's help but she was more grateful for his friendship. Even though Avery was quiet, she was never good at being alone. She thrived on all the words everyone else said that she couldn't herself. That was the hardest part of moving to Mystic Falls. Meredith had work all the time and Avery was left in a quiet house by herself.

Matt spoke about his friends to Avery as they painted. She listened very closely and enjoyed how it was clear that he loved them all very much. Pretty soon, she felt like she knew all of them herself. She didn't say much, mostly listened to him talk. He understood that she was just quiet and didn't push her to say more. Every once in awhile, Avery would stop and look at Matt. They were doing the most tedious task but he looked like he was enjoying it some much. He had had plenty of friends from what he told her. What made him like hanging out with her so much? After they were done with the painting, Matt helped move around furniture that Avery's small stature wouldn't allow. They sat on the floor and sorted through boxes so she could actually organize everything in her room. It was all so boring. But Matt saw it as human, something he hadn't had for awhile.

Once it was starting to get closer to dinnertime, Matt looked at his watch. "Shoot. I actually have work in a little bit." He announced as he unhurriedly grabbed his jacket off her bed.

"Oh. Where do you work?" Avery asked curiously as she picked up a picture frame mindlessly.

"The Grill. I was a busboy, but I'm promoted to waiter…living the dream."

Avery laughed at his sarcasm. "I guess I'll see you later. Thanks for helping me. You really didn't have to…but I'm glad you did."

"No problem. See you later." He waved and left her bedroom. She could hear him saying good-bye to Meredith.

Avery looked away from the door and turned to look at the picture she had picked up. Her smiling slowly died as she saw her family staring back at her. She sighed. Just for a little bit she'd felt like everything had gone back to normal.

* * *

Meredith had already gone to bed when Avery had finally finished her room. All the packing boxes had been collapsed and were brought outside. Her walls were officially a deep turquoise. She put the picture of her family on her nightstand in between the lamp and the alarm clock.

Avery turned away to walk to her bathroom to wash her face. Her peripheral caught a shadow in the corner of her room, next to the door. She inhaled to let out a scream but they rushed over and placed a hand on her mouth. She relaxed when she recognized Kol. With the hand that wasn't covering her mouth, he placed a finger over his lips to tell her to be quiet. Avery nodded and he slowly removed his hand.

She walked around him to close the door. "How did you get in here?" Avery hissed, concerned that someone could just walk in without anyone noticing.

"The door was unlocked." Kol shrugged with a smirk.

Avery just stared at him for a second. "So you thought you'd just let yourself in like Edward Cullen or something?" She questioned scornfully.

"Like who?" Kol asked.

"You're kidding right? Twilight?" Avery didn't believe anyone on the face of the earth hadn't heard of it. But sneaking into a girl's bedroom was a little too similar. When Kol just looked back at her with no expression, she knew he honestly didn't know whom she was talking about. Avery sighed. But when she looked at Kol closer, something clicked. There was a flash of familiarity that she hadn't found before. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Where were you last night?"

Kol shrugged his shoulders as he moved around her to lounge on her recently made bed, his signature smile on. "I was around." He knew a vague answer would bother her. He raised an eyebrow, daring her to challenge his alibi.

"It was you." Avery was so surprised by the realization that her words came out as a mix of a whisper and a gasp. It was the first time she ever faltered his smirk. If she had blinked, she would have missed it.

"I'm not following." Kol said, perplexed.

"Did you bring me back here last night?" She sounded so pitiful. She needed to know that nothing had happened other than being drugged by a stupid high school boy. Kol caught it: the panic, distress, and concern. He got up from the bed and walked closer to her. She wanted to step away, uncomfortable with his nearness. But his gaze was so powerful it wouldn't let her move.

"Yes, I did. Are you happy now?" He snapped.

"What happened?" Avery inhaled.

Kol didn't answer right away. He looked at her lips for a moment before gazing even more deeply into her eyes. Everything about him was intense to her. She wasn't used to anyone looking at her in such a way.

"I believe you already know the answer to that." He finally broke the silence and turned away from her. Avery felt like she could breath again when he moved away. Kol was glancing around at her things.

"You saved me, didn't you? You stopped Chase." She crossed her arms as she waited for him to respond. It annoyed her how he tried to undermine his actions, which was strange since he saved her from a horrible fate. Kol finally turned around and stared at her. It was his way of telling her she was right. "He's dead, the boy I mean. Matt said the police found his body in the woods. An animal killed him." Avery informed him but he had already returned to exploring her room.

"Is that so?" He asked rhetorically.

"Kol." Avery raised her voice louder. He immediately looked at her. He didn't mean to but hearing her say his name caused a reaction within that he couldn't control. "Thank you." She finished sincerely. And it clearly caught him off guard, for he squinted at her. Avery wondered if no one had ever thanked him before or if he never did anything worth being thanked for. She hoped it was the first one.

Kol had moved over to her nightstand. He picked up the picture of her family. But he didn't point them out or bring up their deaths. Avery was beginning to wonder if he didn't know her story like the rest of the town. He seemed to be cut off from everyone else. People didn't appear to like him. So perhaps he was out of the loop with the gossip that went around Mystic Falls.

"They're dead." It was the first time she'd ever said it aloud to anyone, even herself. It hurt a little, making it seem even more set in stone. The childish part of her mind, that hoped they would magically appear, was dying more each day.

When Kol didn't look at her or respond, she continued. "They were murdered." Her voice sounded even rougher. She could see his profile looking up from the photo to stare at the wall when he heard her. His lack of sympathy made her believe she was making him uncomfortable.

"Kol, why did you come here?" Avery asked. Obviously he would've never told her he'd saved her life himself. He had hardly admitted it when she guessed. So she wondered why he felt the need to break into her house. Kol finally turned to fully face her. She didn't know how to interpret his face. It was neither his mischievous amusement nor his dangerous warning. He was just emotionless.

"Goodnight Avery." Kol said inertly. Before she could stop him, he had opened her bedroom door and closed it behind him. When she opened it a few seconds later, he was gone. Avery slowly walked to the front door to lock it after him. But when her hand reached for it, she was confused to see it was already locked. How had he left and still have the door locked?

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**So I hope I didn't make it seem like Matt & Avery flirted or anything. I've always had a soft spot for Matt because he's so nice and just gets treated horribly. So I was intrigued with making them friends...JUST friends.**

**Tell me your thoughts :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Just wanted to say thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter. You guys made me smile :)**

**Music**

**The Sea is Calling - The Temper Trap **(grill)

**Broken - S. Carey **(talking)

**This Will Make You Love Again - IAMX** ]

* * *

It seemed like Meredith worked almost every day. Any other teenager would probably love to have the house all alone. But Avery was bored and lonely. She started thinking of things that would occupy her. Eventually she settled on the idea of going to town. Avery was embarrassed to admit that she hoped she'd run into a certain Mikaelson. But she kept convincing herself that she wanted to run into Matt to see if he could hang out again.

As she was walking, she decided it would be a good idea to try and find a job in town too. If her entire summer were filled with her sitting in an empty house, she would go insane. She wasn't used to being alone so much. With her family's death, she didn't need the money. She just needed to be busy.

Her mind was flipping through all the jobs she thought were possibly available when a black car slowed down to match her walking. Avery looked over to see a black Ferrari being driven by Kol. She shook her head at how he was exactly the person she'd hoped to run into.

"Is taking walks alone a hobby of yours?" He asked her as his head ducked to see her through the passenger window. But Avery ignored is snarky comment.

"May I ask where you're going?" Kol continued. He was amused by how his presence clearly annoyed her. Her silence always became a challenge of some sort to him. He tried anything to make her speak to him.

"I thought I'd walk to town." Avery finally said while continuing looking straight ahead. But she could still see Kol smirking in the corner of her eye.

"Get in." Kol demanded. She turned to glare at him, not appreciating his forceful tone. But she didn't realize Kol wasn't used to asking nicely.

"I'm not going anywhere with you if you think it's okay to tell me what to do." She crossed her arms, satisfied for standing up for herself.

Kol sighed at her mouthy remark. He didn't expect it from her. "Fine. Get in the car…please." The word 'please' sounded unnatural from him. It caused Avery to smirk at her small victory. She carefully walked to the passenger door. She was about to ask where they were going or what they were doing but then realized that she didn't really care.

Avery looked over at Kol when they still hadn't moved further up the street. She'd caught him staring at her for a moment. But before she could question what he was looking at, he sped the car forward. Avery started recognizing that they were heading toward town. Kol eventually pulled into a parking spot in front of the grill Avery had seen on her other trip into town.

"The Grill?" She questioned him as he turned off the car.

"I'm quite bored. My last plaything ran off with my brother." Kol stated bluntly. He winked at her before he opened his car door. Avery sighed before getting out and following him toward the restaurant. He made his way to a table that was somewhat separated from everyone. She walked closely behind him.

When Avery sat down, she looked down at the menu uncomfortably. What exactly were they doing here? Should this be considered a date? Kol watched her as she looked at everything around her but him. He had never been around a girl that he made so uncomfortable without even trying. He shook his head when he realized he found it quite adorable.

Avery noticed Matt walking quickly toward their table with an apron around his waist. She sat up, but then looked worried when he didn't look happy at all to see her. Kol caught her change in expression and turned around to catch Matt too. He looked back at her with a smirk.

"What are you doing?" Matt said roughly to Kol, completely ignoring Avery.

"What are you insinuating, that I can't come to the town's hang out with a friend of mine?" Kol raised an eyebrow. "Matt is it?" He mocked.

"I think you should leave...alone." Matt declared. His voice was low as his hands grasped the edge of the table and he leaned forward.

"Matt! What is your problem? He isn't doing anything wrong." Avery finally cut in. She didn't expect Matt to get sucked into the assumptions. Kol looked at her surprised. Apparently he hadn't expected her to defend him. He actually didn't even know that she was friends with Matt, the thought of it upset him.

Matt finally turned his glare at Kol to look at her. "Avery, what are you doing hanging out with him?" He sounded so disappointed that it made her mad. Everyone was telling her how awful he was, but she just couldn't see what made Kol so evil. When she looked over at Kol, his eyes had gone dark. His worst side was now ignited thanks to Matt's comment.

Kol pushed his chair back roughly, the wood scraped against the wood loudly. A few people sitting nearby now had their attention on them. "I don't believe I appreciate your tone. I consider Avery's perfectly capable of determining who she wants for company."

Avery's eyes switched rapidly between the two boys. For some reason, she believed Kol could do a significant amount of more damage to Matt than vice versa. And she could tell by his stance that he wasn't far from starting something. Avery got up from her chair and stepped between the two.

"Kol, come on. Let's go." But he ignored her and looked over her short height to continue glaring at Matt, who had yet to step down. She didn't know what made her do it, but Avery gently grabbed Kol's hand. It completely shattered his anger as he looked down at the contact. "Please, can we just go?" She begged him softly. He finally nodded slowly, letting her lead him outside.

Matt wanted to say something to get Avery away from the vampire. But he knew that it would only make his case more confusing and suspicious to her. He didn't want to ruin her obliviousness to their town. Perhaps he was trying for the impossible. If so, he would at least try to keep her out of it as long as possible. And seeing Kol's sudden interest in her made it extremely difficult. Matt had never seen anyone get such a reaction from Kol like when Avery had grabbed his hand. She'd immediately calmed him and pulled him out of his rage. Something was happening that Matt wanted to stop. But all he could do was watch at the two left the grill.

Avery let go of his hand as soon as they were outside of the restaurant. She turned and faced Kol. "Why do you have to do that?" She interrogated.

He smirked. "I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

"Why do you have to pick a battle with everyone? You push people just to push. You would have fought Matt right there if I hadn't stopped you." Avery exhaled and looked around at the town's square. "You know what, I'm just going to head back home." She started walking away, but Kol lightly grabbed her wrist.

"Stop being ridiculous. There's no need for you to leave." He said harshly. But the roughness from when he talked to Matt was gone. He spoke more softly to Avery than he ever had to anyone. But it was only when no one was around to notice.

"What do you want from me, Kol?" Avery asked him. She was frustrated by his mix signals. He saved her life but then wouldn't admit to it. There was something dark about Kol that everyone understood except her. That's why she wouldn't go home. She wasn't leaving until she figured him out. But Avery was starting to realize that there was mysteriousness about Kol that would never go away.

He quickly closed the space between them. It seemed to be something he did a lot. It was like he knew how fast it made her heart beat. He touched a piece of her long black hair that lay across her shoulders. But she was too distracted by his unfaltering gaze to catch it.

"I don't quite know yet." He said softly to her before leaving her side and walking back toward his car. He stopped after a few steps to look if she was following. But Avery stood silently with her arms crossed. "I leave it up to you to decide if you will believe all that you have heard about me." He raised an eyebrow at her before continuing to walk to his car. There was a moment of hesitation for Avery. She looked around for a second and then followed him to the car. Once inside, she refused to look at Kol, knowing he had a smirk from his success.

Avery didn't say anything as Kol drove her through narrow backstreets that were surrounded by hills and forest. She wasn't familiar enough with Mystic Falls to know where she was. Her instincts were only able to tell what cardinal direction they were headed in.

Kol looked over at her every once in awhile, waiting for her to ask where they were going. But Avery stayed quiet, looking out the window at her settings. A few minutes later, he turned into the private driveway that led to Klaus' mansion. When it slowly came into view, Kol caught Avery's mouth open slightly at the sight.

"Is this your house?" She gasped.

"It's my brother's. My sister and I are just borrowing it for the time being." Kol said casually. With all his time alive, he had become used to lavish things. It was just sort of expected now. But seeing her reaction to it made him realize that it was a little outlandish. As he got out of the car, he heard her heart speed up.

"We're not going inside, are we?" Avery panicked.

Kol went to the passenger door and opened it, knowing that she would never do it herself. "Would you rather we just sat in the car? Of course we're going inside." When she didn't move, he sighed. "No one else is home if that's what you're worrying about." But he heard her pulse speed up even more at his statement. Apparently, knowing they were alone was the opposite of comforting to Avery. "Don't you trust me?" Kol asked as he offered her his hand.

Avery looked at it for a moment. She held her breath as she finally took it. The sound of their feet crunching gravel was made as Kol walked her to the front door of the mansion. As soon as she entered, Avery's eyes widened. There was a silence that filled the massive house that became a staleness echoing, making it seem loud. She glanced over at Kol. He didn't seem to have brought her here to impress her. The house didn't seem all that dear to him.

"Where are your parents?" Avery asked quietly, fearing her question would echo if it were said too loud. Kol faced her seriously.

"No longer living." It was said with no feeling or sympathy. He left her side to head toward the stairs, leaving her in shock. She never would have guessed. He'd never told her anything about himself. The mentioning of the brother who owned the mansion and the sister who lived with him were the most personal things she'd heard him say. Avery shook her head and raced after him up the stairs.

Kol had slipped into one of the many hallways that branched away from the staircase. He was slow enough to allow Avery to see him go into of the doors. She rushed in and found that it was a bedroom. She assumed it was his. The bed was unmade and there were various groups of books stacked across the floor. Everything seemed dark; the floor, the walls, the furniture. For some reason, it looked exactly how she'd expect it to.

But Kol was not in the room. There was a balcony connected to his room and he now leaned against the edge, overlooking the trees across the huge property. Avery carefully made her way to his side. He still didn't look at her as she stood only an inch away from him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered.

"Because it doesn't matter." Kol quickly replied. It was weird that he said that about his parents. But Avery found it weirder how she believed it. He honestly sounded like he almost didn't care about them at all. She was quiet then, not knowing what else to say.

Kol finally looked at her now that she was staring out into the forest too. He wanted to know about her, more than he could ever remember wanting to know anyone. When he looked at her sad eyes, he desired nothing more than to be the reason for them to change.

"Why are you so quiet?" He asked her genuinely. She obviously didn't expect his question because her head whipped in his direction. _What an odd question to ask_, she thought. No one had ever examined why she was so quiet. People just assumed it was because she was shy.

"I don't really get what you're asking…" Avery said as her blue eyes looked away from him once again.

"Yes, you do. I watched you at that party the night I met you. Everyone was talking to you, but not a word came out of your mouth. It's how you caught my attention. Even when meeting me, you were mute." Kol pointed out.

"You were watching me?" She asked.

"Stop avoiding the question." He scolded as one side of him leaned against the concrete bannister, observing her.

"Fine." Avery finally broke. "Everyone expects you to talk. But when you actually do, they never really listen… especially when you actually need to say something. I just stopped seeing the point. It got worse when my family died. People kept asking how I was doing every second. It drove me crazy. They didn't even care to hear the truth. I bet if I said, 'I'm doing horrible. I wish I had been there with them to die too' no one would have even noticed."

She stopped talking and breathed for a moment. She'd never told someone anything like that before. The entire time she'd been talking, she was looking out. She was scared to face Kol while telling him something so personal and intimate. But Avery finally turned to face Kol. "I may not say much, but I think a lot. It's amazing what you notice when you just stop talking for a second and look around. People don't realize how much they can miss."

Kol just stared at Avery. He didn't know how to respond because she was right. Every word she said was the truth. He wanted to tell her that he listened to every word she said, that he savored every syllable of every word. And he always would. But Kol knew it would scare her. He wasn't ready to accept it himself either.

"What have they been telling you about me?" He decided to change the subject. It clearly made her uncomfortable and he couldn't respond the way he wanted to.

"Why are you asking me so many questions?" Avery snapped. She was getting frustrated. Kol was taking looking hits at her shell, trying to full expose her deepest part. And she could feel it.

"Because I wish to know what ideas have been put in your head."

Avery sighed. None of the things she had been told were acceptable to share with him. She was starting to see that Kol's interest in her was something deeper than she'd originally thought. "Everyone says you're trouble and whoever gets involved with you ends up getting hurt in some way. I catch people looking at you almost as if you're dangerous and they're…scared."

Kol stopped leaning on the railing, standing up straight. He took a small step closer, looking down at her. "And you, are you scared of me, Avery?"

"No." She whispered almost instantly.

He peered his eyes at her, wondering how she could say such a thing. Couldn't her instincts tell that she was in the presence of a murderer? Kol suddenly questioned how Avery would see him if she knew the truth.

"You seem so certain. Why aren't you scared of me like the rest?"

"Because of the way you're looking at me right now." Avery inhaled. Kol could feel her breath on his chest. "You hide it well, but there is something more to you than I think anyone can see."

There was only one other person outside of his family that was able to see what Avery just did. But Kol's mind was only thinking of the girl standing just centimeters away from him. His eyes took in her face, always starting at her spellbinding eyes. His gaze wandered down to her smooth lips. He knew she noticed because her heartbeat sped and he could feel her blood getting hotter. Kol's hand went down her side and slipped around to hold the small of her back. The movement had been so fluid and light, it felt ghostly to Avery.

She could feel what was about to happen. Her mind was running through everything people had said to describe Kol. Their reports made her guilty for wanting him and were now trying to stop her. But there was something about Kol that made her feel alive for the first time since her family died. Their deaths didn't linger around her, waiting to throw her into melancholy, when she was with him. Even though he seemed cold and cruel, she felt warm in his company.

Avery was still has Kol leaned down, staring at her lips with craving. He had already memorized her scent that smelled of cherry blossoms. While he was so close, it made it hard to think clearly. Right before his lips were about to touch hers, he paused. There was a moment of questioning if she truly wanted this or if he had tricked her into believing so. But Avery moved in to close the empty space he'd left. He could feel how shy she'd become with their embrace. His hand cupped her chin softly, calming her.

Avery couldn't understand how delicate he could in just seconds. It made it even harder to understand what others saw in him and how they completely missed what she did. But her thoughts blurred as they continued to kiss. Kol's lips didn't allow it to speed up. It was slow and romantic in a way Avery thought only existed in classic movies.

This made everything beyond complicated, more than Avery could understand. She was so oblivious to what little she knew was happening. But it stayed in the back of Kol's mind: the secrets he'd hid from her already. He knew if things became deeper, he would eventually have to tell her everything. There was no judging how Avery would react. The lack of predictability bothered him. But Kol pushed his worries back where they had started. Right now, he was with her in the simplest of ways. That was all that mattered to him currently.

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**Thoughts?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry but this chapter is on the shorter side. But it is what it is. **

**Music**

**Tip of My Tongue - The Civil Wars**

**Hang Me Up to Dry - Cold War Kids **(threat)

**Sleep Don't Weep - Damien Rice **(Jamie)

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Kol's kiss was interrupted when Avery's cell phone started ringing. She pulled away and shoved her hand into her pocket to grab it. Kol made a deep noise that almost sounded like a growl.

"I am about to throw that over the railing." He commented darkly.

Avery ignored him and panicked when she saw she'd just missed Meredith's call. Her phone said she had called 5 times and texted her twice. Avery didn't know how she hadn't heard them. She whispered a curse word under her breath and looked back at Kol.

"I have to go…my aunt heard I was with you. I swear, by the way she's freaking out, it's like she thought you killed me." Avery laughed but he didn't join in. She had no idea that it was exactly what Meredith thought.

"I'll take you home." Kol stated. His voice was filled more with annoyance than disappointment. She noticed it instantly. Before he could walk back inside. She gripped his shoulders and stood on her tippy toes to place a kiss quickly on his lips.

"Thanks." Avery smirked. Kol smiled at her surprise gesture. But it wasn't his typical mischievous or evil one. He actually looked happy. She walked back inside his room to go down to the car.

Kol was instantly behind her. He found it difficult to contain his supernatural abilities. He was used to moving so quickly. He'd never been around a human so much that didn't know he was a vampire. Just as Avery was at the bottom of the stairs, Kol heard his sister walking toward the front door outside. He stopped Avery but it was too late. Rebekah opened the door and stopped mid-step when she saw Avery standing close to her brother's side.

Rebekah was about to ask if she was for dinner but looked up to see Kol shaking his head slightly. He knew exactly what she was thinking. Her eyes squinted at her brother. She didn't understand what he was up to. The only human he had ever allowed to leave the mansion alive was Hayley.

"Avery this is my sister, Rebekah." Kol finally said bitterly. He looked over to see her smiling timidly at his sister, who in return only glared. Neither of the girls was going to say anything. Avery was too quiet and Rebekah believed she was too superior to lower herself to a human's level.

Kol looked down at Avery. "Go ahead. I'll be outside in a second." She looked confused, wondering why. But she did as she was told. Rebekah stared Avery down as she walked past her to get to the front door.

"Leave her alone, Rebekah." Kol commanded as soon as the door had shut.

"Why? Do you have a little crush on her, Kol?" She teased as she walked slowly toward him. Kol sped forward, closing the distance at vampire speed.

"Just leave her be." He snapped.

Her eyes narrowed. "That's the second human girl you've fallen for, brother…quite the hypocrite. As I recall, when I brought Matt to the ball, you said the first sign of weakness was settling for mortals. Tell me Kol, when did you get so weak. First Hayley, now her."

Harassing one another was part of their relationship. But bringing up Hayley was pushing it too far for Kol. His teeth ground together as he tried to control his anger. Before he could do any harm, he shoved past his sister.

Before leaving the mansion he turned back around to face Rebekah. "If you harm her, you can say good-bye to that Matt you seem to have grown a liking for." Kol winked before closing the door behind him.

When Kol slammed the car door behind him, Avery watched him closely. "Is everything okay there?" She asked carefully. But he only nodded his head to reassure her that he was fine. Neither of them said anything as Kol raced on the curved and hilled streets.

Once they finally pulled into the driveway, they saw two cop cars parked on the street. Meredith was standing on her porch talking to three police officers. They all turned to stare as Kol's Ferrari parked. Avery immediately recognized Sheriff Phillips as one of the people staring at her through the tinted windshield.

"Did she seriously call the cops?" Avery gasped.

Kol glared at the group. "It's because they knew you were with me."

She sighed, knowing he was right but not wanting to admit it. "Maybe you should just stay in the car." Avery said nervously. She didn't understand why she felt guilty, as if she was about to get scolded like a little kid. She had done nothing wrong. Slowly, she opened the passenger door. The driver's side followed. Avery looked over to see Kol doing the exact opposite of what she asked.

"Kol, I'm serious. You'll just make it worse."

He glanced at her. Finally, he shook his head. But he watched her go up the walkway to her porch. He wanted to hear what they would say to her. Sheriff Phillips eyed him from a distance and Kol winked at him in return.

"Really Meredith? I'm gone for a couple of hours and you call the police?" Avery asked in awe. But Meredith ignored her niece's annoyance, tightly hugging her. The act caught Avery off guard. After a few seconds, she finally patted her aunt on the back. She was confused why her return was such a surprise. Sheriff Phillips walked over as soon as Meredith let her go.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" He asked her with narrowed eyes.

"I was just distracted. I guess I didn't hear it." Avery answered honestly. The sheriff was staring directly into her eyes as if he was looking for something. She turned away, figuring it was some kind of police trick to see if she was telling the truth. But she caught him glare over at Kol who was leaning against his open car door. "He didn't do anything wrong." Avery boldly stated.

"Let them do their job, Avery. Come inside." Her aunt said as she softly grabbed her arm pulling her toward the house. "Thank you, Sheriff Phillips." Meredith said before closing the door.

Kol watched the other cops gazing over Avery's body when she had finally walked onto the porch. They were looking for blood or a bite, anything that would prove he had attacked her. He glowered at the new sheriff when their eyes caught. As soon as Avery was inside, the sheriff started down the stairs toward him.

"Isn't it past your bedtime? It's almost seven o'clock." Kol said as he looked at the expensive watch on his wrist theatrically.

Sheriff Phillips smiled at the joke, indulging him. "It doesn't seem like you compelled her. And from what I can tell, you didn't bite her. But how much of an expert can I be? I'm only a sheriff." When he was only a few feet away, he stopped.

Kol noticed his hand was on top of the gun resting in its sling. The vampire assumed it wasn't filled with normal bullets. Evidently, he wasn't ignorant to what Kol was. "You think your little gun can kill me. I see you're a bigger fool than I had originally thought." Kol mocked.

"Oh, I know it won't kill you. But I do know it will be rather painful." The sheriff countered. "What do you want with Avery? She isn't a part of any of this. She doesn't know what you really are." As he spoke, his deputies carefully walked off the porch to stand behind their sheriff, ready if Kol made any sudden movements. Their guns were already unleashed in their hands.

"My business is my own. But I do enjoy the rise it brings out of everyone in this town." In a blink of an eye, Kol had rushed over to the two deputies. Before they could even raise their guns, he had grabbed and destroyed them. Along with their guns, he broke one's hand and the other's leg. The next second, he was standing less than a foot away from Sheriff Phillips. Kol couldn't deny he was impressed how the human's heartbeat remained calm and steady. He was the first human he'd encountered you didn't cower when being threatened.

"You fools believe when your guns are filled with wooden bullets that you then stand a chance against us. I am over a thousand years old. Underestimate me again and you will have more to worry about than a policeman who is unable to shoot and another you cannot walk. I give you my word." Kol tilted his head with a smirk before turning back to his car.

"Do you think she'd still be interested if she was told what you were?" Sheriff Phillips said with Kol's back turned to him. He knew it would make the vampire stop dead in his tracks.

Kol faced him. "Well, I don't believe you would do that. Because you're keen on protecting her from harm's way for reasons I have yet to recognize. And if you tell Avery, I promise…I'll kill her in front of you so you understand that you're the only reason she died." He enjoyed hearing Sheriff Phillips' breathing break when he perceived his words. It was good enough reaction for him. Kol got into his car and sped down the road without say another threat. He'd made his point.

"I don't understand why you're treating me as if I did something wrong!" Avery snapped as she sat on the couch, looking up at her aunt.

"I told you to stay away from him, Avery. Matt called me saying you just drove off with him. You hardly even know him. He's basically a stranger." Meredith said sternly. She wouldn't raise her voice.

Avery stood up in anger. "I'm 18 years old. I can talk to whom I want. And Kol is around more than you are. Am I supposed to apologize for hanging out with him? You're not my mom, Meredith. She's dead. My parents are dead. So stop trying to act like them." Her voice was even and her words full of disgust. She quickly trudged to her room, slamming the door shut.

Meredith was left standing alone in the living room. Her eyes were filled with tears. Avery was correct; she couldn't act like her mom. She had no right. Meredith only wished to protect the closest thing to her sister she had left. Avery's mom had kept her children away from Mystic Falls for a reason. Meredith started to realize she'd ruined the biggest wish her sister had for Avery. And Kol shoving his way into Avery's life was only ending every protection she used to have.

* * *

Avery spent nightfall crying on her bed. She was sick of all these people telling her what to do and whom she couldn't trust. And then it all just made her remember that the only reason she was in this situation was because her family was dead. Her mind wandered to a night only a few months ago. She had just broken up with her boyfriend and she was crying in her bedroom. She was able to hide her heartbreak from her parents as she came home and her parents were watching a movie. Avery thought she had been quiet, making sure Jamie didn't hear her sniffles. But he had snuck into her room and climbed under the covers, just watching her. She tried to wipe her eyes but it was too late. Her brother already knew.

"I wish you weren't sad." He whispered to her.

"I'm not sad, Jamie. You should go back to sleep." Avery had told him. But Jamie liked to believe he was a detective in training. His eyes squinted dramatically at her, not believing her. But he scurried out of her bed, closing the door behind him. Avery thought he'd gone back to bed like she told him. But a few minutes later, Jamie was back with a plate of cookies and cup of hot chocolate. He'd snuck into the kitchen, making sure not to let his parents catch him up past bedtime.

"If this doesn't make you feel better… I give up." Jamie giggled as he handed them to his big sister and then climbed into bed again. He was wearing dinosaur pajamas. Avery stared at the plate of cookies and mug in her hands. She realized that a stupid guy wasn't worth crying over. They would come and go, but she'd always have her little brother. Except, she had been so wrong. Life wasn't always promised to the youth. She'd learned that the hard way.

Avery now lay in a house that wasn't her own. She wished Jamie were here to give her cookies and hot chocolate. He would say something so naïve that only a child was capable of thinking. And she would laugh, realizing that things may be hard now, but there was always something waiting to be found to make it better.

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**Review? :/**


	9. Chapter 9

**Just want to thank angelamarias, lentilgirl, PushUpDaisies, letsstartapaintwar, assassinlenna for their amazing reviews. Thanks guys! They keep me going :)**

**Music**

**I Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab For Cutie **(waking up)

**Months - The Middle East **(swimming)

**Moonchild - Fat Segal **

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Avery slowly stirred in her sleep as she felt something brushing against her cheek. She moved a little but the feeling didn't pass. Her eyes gradually opened to see Kol sitting on the very edge of her bed. At first, she believed she was dreaming. And she waited to be awoken from her trance. But as she started become more aware, Avery realized that she was very much awake.

"What are you doing here, Kol?" She whispered sleepily. He smiled a little at how tired she sounded. Her eyes closed again, unable to control her tiredness.

"Get up. I want to take you somewhere." Kol spoke softly. He listened for any other activity in the house from her aunt. But she was sleeping deeply in her room.

"It's the middle of the night." Avery sighed with her eyes still closed. Her mind was too tired to process waking up. She was emotionally exhausted. Then she felt Kol's lips press against her cheek and then move to her ear.

"Will you get up…please?" He whispered to her. A smile quickly appeared on her lips. It was mostly the hesitation he had at asking nicely. Carefully, she sat up to look at him. He seemed please with himself for finally getting her awake.

Avery looked down to see she'd fallen asleep in her clothes. She was still wearing her high-waisted black denim shorts and old band t-shirt from earlier. Even her black high top converses were still on her feet.

"Where are we going? We'll wake up Meredith." She murmured. Kol glanced over at one of the windows in her room that was fully open.

"Do realize you are on the first floor?" He said mockingly. She glared playfully back at him. He walked over to the window and jumped out in one graceful movement. Avery walked carefully to the window and peered down. Kol was looking up at her with his hand offered to help her down. The drop was only a few feet. She was confident she didn't need help. If he could do it on his own, so could she. But Avery jumped out of the window at the wrong angle. As her feet hit the ground incorrectly, she was about to stumble forward. But Kol was at her side in a second, catching her. He dipped his head to look in her eyes. That was when he noticed her slightly smudged mascara from the tears earlier in the night.

"Have you been crying?" Kol asked softly as he traced the skin just below her eyes with his thumb. She immediately turned away embarrassed and roughly wiped it away with the back of her hand. The concern found in his voice startled her. She shook her head, refusing to try and verbally lie.

"Avery…" Kol started but she didn't like how he wasn't being his bitter and insensitive self. She hadn't talked about her family with him before and she didn't want to start now.

"Are we walking there or what?" She interrupted whatever he was about to say and looked at him, waiting for some direction. He closed his mouth, realizing that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Come on." He instructed quietly. They quietly moved through the trees until they hit a street. Avery noticed his Ferrari parked a few yards down. He must have made sure no one could see it parked outside her house. She was suddenly annoyed at the extremes Kol had to go through for them to be undisturbed or criticized.

Once they reached the car, Kol opened the passenger door for her. It wasn't the first time and Avery found it very old fashioned. She didn't expect it from him. "Where are we going?" She urged, sick of being patient.

"You are not very good at handling surprises, are you?" He grinned.

She only responded with a sigh. But her mind already wanted to question him about earlier, switching subjects instantly. "What did the cops say to you? Did you get into trouble?" She wanted to ask a million more questions but she stopped herself when she caught Kol smirking at her worry and rapid interrogations.

"They said nothing of importance. And no, I am not in any trouble." He reassured her. Avery's body immediately calmed down. And she was quiet for the rest of their drive, knowing he wouldn't tell her where they were going. A few minutes later, Kol pulled into the private drive to Klaus' mansion once again.

Avery got out of the car as soon as it stopped and headed toward the front door. But Kol grabbed her hand and steered her toward the surrounding forest instead. She glanced up at him with a curious expression.

"I did not wake you up in the middle of the night to bring you to my house." Kol teased her. But she paused in her tracks when they were only a few yards from the forest. When she was little, she had got lost in a forest on a camping trip through her school. Now she never felt safe outdoors, alone with nature. It always made her feel out of her element and unsafe. And ever since the incident with Chase, she tried to avoid them as best she could.

"We're going into the forest?" She questioned nervously.

Kol smirked at her reaction. "Are you frightened?"

Avery pushed him. "Shut up. It's not funny."

But his smile faded as he stepped closer to her. "Don't be afraid. I promise, I shall not let anything harm you. Do you trust me?" He tilted his head waiting for her to show that she understood. Avery tried swallowing with a dry throat. She simply nodded her head.

As they entered the forest, Avery moved so close to Kol that her arm kept grazing his. Then he grabbed her hand thoughtlessly. She grasped it tightly, glad for the comfort and contact. As they walked, Kol listened to her heart jump at every unfamiliar noise she heard.

"So do you always take girls deep into the forest?" She asked nervously as she tried to watch her step. Her eyes were struggling to register the ground beneath her. But somehow she knew that Kol would never let her fall.

"Not particularly." He responded casually and then stopped to look at her. "Everyone is so keen on keeping you away from me. I thought I would take you someplace where no one could interrupt us." Kol continued walking and broke out of the woods to an opening. He waited for her to follow.

Kol watched Avery as she took in their destination. It was the hidden lake on Klaus' property. Besides Hayley, no one else but him went to it. The night sky was cloudless and the moon was almost completely full. It reflected across the lake. The water was so calm that the small waves hitting the shore could barely be heard. Avery walked forward and rested on the stony beach, sitting as close to the water as possible without getting wet. Kol waited a moment before taking a seat close to her.

"Kol…if I asked you a question, would you answer it honestly?"

He froze for a second, thinking Sheriff Phillips really had told her what he truly was. But he knew he would've noticed her acting differently sooner. Kol wanted to tell her everything she wanted but he couldn't. There were secrets that needed to be kept. Maybe he would be able to share them soon but not yet.

"Why does everyone think you're so bad? I've tried figuring it out over and over again. But I can't seem to find what they do." She turned to wait for his answer but Kol was looking out onto the water. He didn't want to lie to her. But there was no other way out of her question.

"If you think it will change the way I think about you, it won't." Avery added quietly. If Kol was worried that it would ruin what was growing between them, she wanted to reassure him. Even if she wasn't sure what it was yet.

"I fear it will whether you want it to or not. My family was new to town a few months ago and we did not do a suitable job of making a good first impression." Kol finally explained after filling their conversation with a long pause. He thought if he were vague enough, it couldn't be considered lying.

"That doesn't really seem to explain how they view you." She muttered.

"Well, people see what they want to see. You, on the other hand, ignore other's opinions and make judgments for yourself. I believe that's why it's so hard for you to perceive me the way everyone else does."

Avery sighed as her feet played with the stones covering the beach. Her body ached to go into the water. She had competitively swum since she could remember. Her parents used to joke that she was half-mermaid. She wasn't very good at explaining why she loved swimming so much. But it had been too long since she'd felt the water move between her fingers and toes. She couldn't think of the last time she had gone swimming. Before her mind could stop the urge, Avery got up and started taking of her Converse. She glanced down at Kol, who was still sitting, and saw that he was confused at what she was doing.

"Close your eyes." She commanded.

"Pardon?" Kol asked still perplexed to what she was about to do.

Avery ignored his questioning look, only gesturing toward the water. "Either close your eyes or turn around. No peeking!" She pointed her finger at him. Kol figured out what she was asking. He shook his head and finally put a hand over his eyes. Once she was satisfied that he couldn't see, Avery quickly took of her shorts and t-shirt, tossing them onto the ground. She was now standing only in her black blue matching underwear and bra. Before Kol could be tempted, she rushed into the water, diving in as soon as it was deep enough to do so.

Avery took in a deep breath before plunging underwater. The water was already too deep for her to touch the bottom. Her black hair fluttered about her, glinting from the rays of moonlight that made their way through the water. If she could, she would stay underwater forever. But unlike her parents joke, she was not a mermaid. She was a human trying to get through a mortal life one day at a time.

Her lungs were now begging for oxygen. She swam to the surface, facing the shore. But Kol was no longer sitting on the rocky surface. However Avery's eyes were able to see a pile of clothes next to her own.

"You can hold you breath for quite awhile, darling. I must say I am fairly impressed." A voice said behind her. Kol had somehow swum past her while she was underwater. She whipped around to face him.

"You scared me!" But then a smile spread across her mouth. "Thought you'd join me for a swim?" Avery laughed.

Her black hair somehow looked even darker when wet. The contrast of it with her pale skin made her blue eyes even more luminous. Kol couldn't look away from them even if he wanted. "Well, I couldn't just sit and watch you, being fully aware that you are wearing nothing but your knickers." He said charmingly with his British drawl and mischief in his eyes. Avery blushed a little at him but still found his explanation amusing.

"I should be offended but I'm completely defenseless against that accent." Avery teased as she swam around him, moving deeper into the lake. She didn't want to sit still. Her gaze was drawn up to look at the sky. She stared at the stars. "I didn't realize how much I missed swimming." She whispered, not thinking he would be able to hear her.

"What is so special about swimming?" Kol surprised her by asking. She didn't know how it was possible that he could hear her speak so quietly when she was almost two yards away from him.

Avery didn't look away from the stars as she thought about how to answer him. "Have you ever noticed when you're underwater, everything is silent? The world may get as loud as it wants but you can escape it…just for a few moments. That's what swimming is: an escape." She was never able to explain it so simply to anyone else before. Being as soundless as she, the world sometimes felt louder to her than anyone else. She needed tranquility.

After a few moments of quiet, Avery looked over at Kol wondering why he hadn't responded. He was already staring at her when she glanced over. In that moment, he realized he would never be good enough for Avery. There was a gentleness he had never found in anyone before her. He felt that if he stayed by her side long enough, there was no way he wouldn't destroy it. But Kol wasn't strong enough to force himself away; he was too selfish.

Avery squinted at him; unable to read the way he was looking at her. "What?" She asked him nervously as she swam closer to him. But he just shook his head. He'd never be able to explain it to her. Avery was now very near to him, hovering in the water. "You are a mystery, Kol Mikaelson." There was a hint of a smile but Avery was serious about what she said. For a second, they just stared into each other's eyes.

"Why were you crying?" Kol asked her again, breaking the stillness.

All the thoughts of her family rushed back into Avery's mind. Tears flooded her eyes. She looked away to see if she could stop herself from crying in front of him. But it was useless. "Because I miss my family." Her voice shook as she said it swiftly, diving underwater immediately after saying it. She swam underwater back toward the beach, deciding she didn't wan to swim anymore. Kol watched helplessly for a moment before following her back to the shore. He wasn't used to soothing people. It was a weakness that he never realized he had until now. Before he had always seen it as a strength. But that all changed when he met her. He desired nothing more than to be able to comfort Avery.

Once she reached the beach, she didn't even care about Kol seeing her in her underwear. Avery could hear him walking out of the water not too far behind. Luckily, the swimming had prevented her eyes from crying. Her back was turned to Kol as she threw on her shorts and t-shirt.

It was still early in the summer and the nights weren't warm enough yet. The lack of sun caused shivers to spread across her skin. She turned around to have Kol standing hardly a foot away. He wrapped his zip-up sweatshirt around her shoulders. She grabbed the edges of it, pulling it tighter. "Thanks." She muttered.

Kol was standing in wet jeans with no shirt. Avery had never noticed how broad his shoulders were. She tried not to stare at his toned and muscular build. It was rather difficult. But he didn't notice anyway. Kol appeared as if he was trying really hard to say something that was on his mind.

"Avery…I am sorry about your family." He murmured to her. The word sorry sounded unnatural coming from his lips. She guessed that he wasn't used to saying such things. But out of all the apologies and condolences she'd received, his somehow meant the most to her. She didn't understand it. When she first started talking to Kol, she only saw him as a distraction. He clearly pursued excitement and trouble. His troublesome desires drew her in, making her want to join to get her mind out of its dark place. But now, looking at him, Avery was starting to see that there was something more going on. Her feelings toward Kol had changed into something she had never expected or felt before.

"I should probably get home before my aunt wakes up." She whispered. He nodded in agreement for once. They walked quietly out of the woods to his car that was still parked in the driveway.

There were no cars out at such a late time of night. So Kol sped through the streets at high speeds. Avery didn't know how to handle Kol's newly developed gentleness. He'd never been mean to her but she only saw his sweetness when they were alone. It was his secret that only she knew of. She stayed quiet, not knowing how to handle the change now that she was so aware of it.

A few minutes later, Kol parked at the same hidden spot he had when he first picked up Avery. While they walked in between trees and houses, she didn't understand how much quieter he was compared to her. He stopped walking, staying under the darkness of the trees, once they saw Avery's house. Kol only nodded for her to go ahead. She took a step but then stood still. She turned and carefully walked closer to him. Her hair was now messy and half wet while her skin was still cold even with Kol's sweatshirt around her shoulders.

Before Kol implied what she was doing, her lips were on his. The confidence caught him off guard. Her hands delicately rested on either side of his face while Kol's immediately went to her waist. Just like last time, his grasp was so agile. It seemed like he was scared he would hurt her if he used the tiniest bit of strength.

Avery had forced herself to kiss him, to see if what she thought she was feeling was true. Everything was telling her not to stop but eventually she had to in order to breathe properly. She made herself take a step away. Kissing Kol was addictive and she needed to go back inside before the sun rose and Meredith woke up. Avery couldn't stop the beaming smile that was spread across her lips. For once, Kol didn't have his smirk on. But Avery could see something meaningful in his eyes. It was too soon and forbidding to call it love. But she recognized it as something growing to become meaningful.

"Goodnight, Kol." She whispered before swiftly walking toward the house.

"Goodnight, Avery." He replied so quietly that she couldn't hear.

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**So I'll be out of town for the next two days...without a laptop. So I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP. **


	10. Chapter 10

**OMG. Thank you to everyone that reviews. AWESOME RESPONSE.**

**Music  
**

**What Can I Say - Brandi Carlile** (Meredith/Avery)

**Black & Blue - Chris Garneau **(Hospital)

**Just Looking - Emma-Lee **(Ben Phillips)

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Avery made sure to wake up before Meredith. She knew that it was one of her few days off of work. After being with Kol, she couldn't sleep and started to realize how awful how the things she said to her aunt were. Meredith only took her in because she wanted to. There was nothing in it for her. And all Avery did in return was tell her to stop trying to act like her parents. She had to apologize.

Avery had planned on making her breakfast but was disappointed when there was absolutely nothing in the house to make anything. Since Meredith had basically been working all week, she had no time to go to the grocery store. There was an apple and banana that seemed somewhat edible. She didn't even cut them as she threw them on a plate. She quietly snuck into Meredith's room and sat at the edge of the bed, knowing her presence would somehow wake her up.

Meredith slowly woke. She sat up quickly, immediately thinking something bad had happened. Then she calmed when she saw how relaxed Avery was sitting.

Avery handed her the plate with the banana and apple. "It's a peace offering." She said blankly. "I'm sorry for everything I said last night. I didn't mean it." She sighed when she saw Meredith's face slowly turn sympathetic. "I was going to make you a big breakfast…but we don't exactly have any food. At least I covered one food group…" She finally laughed a little at how briefly her idea had survived.

"I'm sorry too, Avery." Meredith returned hurriedly. "Hey, I have an idea! How about we go into town for breakfast?" Avery immediately smiled at the suggestion and nodded her head in agreement. "And then maybe after we can go to the grocery store and actually stock the kitchen full of all the food groups."

A half hour later, Meredith had brought Avery to the little café where she had first run into Sheriff Phillips. According to her aunt, it had amazing breakfast. Being an early Saturday morning, a lot of people were eating with family and friends.

All of their conflict was put behind them instantly. Plus, Avery was in too good of a mood to be mad at Meredith any longer. Kol was responsible for that. Even with the few hours of nighttime she was left with, it had been impossible to go to sleep. He kept slipping into her thoughts, causing her to smile like an idiot. It was almost hard to believe everything was so simple with them. Other than the fact they basically had to hide their relationship from everyone. _Was it okay to call it a relationship?_ Avery wondered. She hadn't really thought about it that way until now.

"You're deep in thought…may I ask what your daydreaming about?" Meredith asked before taking a sip of black coffee. Her words slapped Avery out of her reveries. She wanted to tell her all about the boy in her life. But she couldn't because it was Kol. And Meredith had made it very clear what her thoughts on him were.

"Oh…just spacing out. Sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night." It was sort of true. That was why she didn't completely ruin the partial lie.

The waitress, arriving with their food, saved Avery from getting asked any more questions. The first few minutes of their meal were completely silent. It was like neither of them had anything to eat in a week. Meredith paused for a moment, judging if she should bring up a tense subject.

"So, I found a few college acceptance letters I believe you accidentally threw out in the garbage…" Meredith tried to sound casual about it so she wouldn't upset Avery enough to push her into her preferred silence.

"It wasn't an accident." Avery immediately replied without looking up from her chocolate chip pancakes.

"Well…I found some pretty awful school's in the pile anyway. Harvard, Princeton, Yale…you know, colleges that only really stupid people go to." Meredith added sardonically. But Avery wasn't smiling. If she had known college would be a topic of discussion, she wouldn't have agreed to go to breakfast.

"Look I know going to school is the last thing you want to think about right now. But I just don't want you to stop your life because they're gone. I feel like you're punishing yourself. They would've wanted you to be happy, Avery. Don't let yourself believe that you don't deserve it." Meredith sighed.

Avery put down her silverware. She felt sick now for so many reasons, most of which she didn't fully understand. Meredith was right of course. But Avery was being stubborn and didn't want to admit it. She never used to act like this. Stubbornness had never been part of her nature. But she wasn't the same person she had been before her family was murdered.

By some miracle, she was saved by Meredith's cell phone ringing. Her aunt's eyes wrinkled in worry when she recognized the number as the hospital. It was one of her few days off at a hospital that was understaffed and didn't have as many talented doctors as Doctor Fell.

Meredith picked up the phone, slightly irritated. Before she even said anything, whoever was on the other line started talking as fast as possible without her misunderstanding.

"I'm on my way right now." She muttered hurriedly before throwing her phone into her purse. Without explaining to Avery, she was already throwing money on top of the table and getting up to leave. Abruptly, it seemed like she remembered Avery was still there. "That was the hospital. An animal attacked Sheriff Phillips. Listen, I don't have time to drop you off at home…"

"Another animal attack?" Avery immediately regretted saying it aloud. She wasn't supposed to know about the files in her closet. And how else would she know about other similar attacks? Plus, Meredith still didn't know about the party she went to where Chase drugged her, then was also attacked and killed by an animal.

"If it's just an animal attack, isn't there another doctor who can handle it?" Avery knew she had a point. It didn't seem like too difficult of a task for only one specified doctor to treat. Then everything her aunt had explained suddenly settled in: Sheriff Phillips was the one attacked.

Avery didn't argue as Meredith quickly walked out of the café and drove to the hospital. Avery said she'd park the car when they stopped right at the front entrance of Mystic Falls Hospital.

Avery didn't rush inside once she parked the car. The last time she'd been in the hospital was when she had to identify her family's bodies when they were on their way to the funeral parlor. Taking them to the hospital to confirm what caused their death seemed pointless to Avery. Hospitals were rarely a place for good things. A happy childbirth was all that she could think of as the automatic sliding doors opened for her. People were either dying, receiving a dangerous surgery, or having a disease slowly suck the life out of them.

Avery walked around the hospital nervously. She had no idea where to look for Meredith. A part of her didn't even think she should do that. She'd probably only get in the way. But after a few minutes, she spotted her talking to two cops. Meredith looked angry, as if she was lecturing them. Avery hid around the corner to see if she could overhear what they were saying.

"He lost a lot of blood. And you won't let me to do what could guarantee that he will make it through the night. Stop acting like you're above it."

"Sheriff Phillips made us promise him that he wouldn't get the blood, especially from the freaks that attacked him." Avery recognized the man as one of the deputies that had been outside her house when Kol dropped her off. Everything Avery was hearing was only confusing her. There wasn't any animal that could've attacked the sheriff, which could also offer him the blood he was refusing.

"Maybe he wouldn't have been attacked if you weren't trying to end their entire species! The sheriff is lucky he's not laying dead right now." Meredith's eyes widened when she saw Avery trying to stay concealed. The cops followed the doctor's gaze and knew it was time to end their discussion. Avery saw she had been discovered and decided to walk over to aunt, acting like nothing happened.

"You're already on thin ice, Doctor Fell. We advise you figure out whose side you're on. We hope you choose right." The deputy said quietly before storming down the hall. Both him and Meredith thought there was no way of Avery overhearing the last comment. But she caught it somehow.

"Is he ok?" Avery asked quietly. She didn't mind Sheriff Phillips. He'd been nicer than most people in town. The last thing she wanted was to see him hurt.

Meredith nudged her head to the room next to her. "He's lost a lot of blood. But we're confident he'll make it just fine." Avery hadn't realized his room was right next to them. He lay on the bed of the empty hospital room. "He doesn't have any family in town." Meredith added as she watched Avery staring at him. "You can sit in there if you want…keep him company. There are still a few things I have to do while I'm here. It could be awhile." She gave her niece an encouraging smile.

Avery nodded her head, still looking at Sheriff Phillips. Slowly, she walked into the room. There was an empty seat conveniently next to his bed. She looked around the room as if someone would magically appear that was better suited for such a job. After she realized how pathetic she was acting, Avery awkwardly sat down in the chair.

Her eyes stared at his neck. There was a cotton patch tapped over his it. There was a shadow of red visible that was probably vibrant on the other side of the bandage. Sheriff Phillips face was pale and slightly moist with perspiration. Avery couldn't help but notice how young he looked in such a state. She'd always known how fairly young he truly was. He was still just a kid. Now she felt like it could be her on the bed, having played a game of cops and robbers that went horribly wrong. Avery sighed and looked at the ground. _Did all hospitals look for the most depressing tile to put in their rooms? _She asked herself cynically.

"Avery?" She heard a coarse voice whisper. Sheriff Phillips had awoken and now looked at her in wonder. Avery hastily got out of her seat in surprise.

"Sheriff Phillips, you're awake! Should I go get Meredith? Are you in pain? Do you need something?" The questions rolled off her tongue like bullets.

But it put a smile on his face. He raised one of his hands to calm her down. It was covered in IV's and other lines. "Ok. Take it easy. I'm fine. I don't need anything." When he was satisfied that she'd calmed down, he put his hand down. "You know…you can call me Ben instead of Sheriff Phillips, Avery."

She sat back down and shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Ok…Are you sure I can't get you anything…Ben?" Her hesitation made him smile more.

"I'm fine. Just a little beat up. I think I'll survive." He tried to sound lighthearted, wanting to free Avery of her worried looks of concern.

"What were you doing in the forest anyway? Did you mix up your sheriff profession with a forest ranger?" She asked, just a little humorously.

"I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Ben said seriously. He was good at hiding the depth of the situation to her. But he didn't know that Avery was already suspicious to the obscurities that were the town's secrets.

"Ben, don't take this the wrong way…but how old are you?" She asked softly.

He looked away, down at the IVs jammed into his veins. "22."

"How is it that you're so you and the sheriff of a town? Did you go to college?" His situation confused her. Besides, she had no idea what else to talk to him about so she went ahead and asked him what she'd been wondering about.

The subject didn't seem to make him uncomfortable. In fact, it appeared as if he was used to being asked about it. "No…No, I didn't go to college. I was kind of raised my entire life to be this. I guess you could say it's the family business."

"It's the family business to be a cop?" Avery laughed lightly.

Ben smiled at the sound of her laugh. "Yeah…I can't really explain it, to be truly honest." He was now laughing too. She noticed how differently he talked to her when he wasn't being the sheriff. He was just being himself. Once the uniform was off, he was just Ben Phillips.

Their conversation was interrupted when Meredith walked into the room. "Good to see someone awake." She gave her patient a small smile. His lightheartedness and true self instantly disappeared in her presence. Just like that, he had gone back to Sheriff Phillips. It saddened Avery for some reason, seeing it first hand. She wondered how happy he truly was, or rather, how unhappy.

"I just came in to check your vitals and change your bandages again. I want to make sure the stitches are setting in." Meredith said in her formal doctor tone. Avery pushed her chair further back so she wasn't in the way. Her eyes were now glued to the bandage on the sheriff's neck. Avery's stomach flipped when she saw the marks left on his neck. They were exactly like her family had in the pictures Meredith had hidden. But only he had no cut dragged against dead skin.

Avery shot up out of her seat to stand. It was a reaction she couldn't control. Meredith and Sheriff Phillips both noticed, looking at her worried. She realized she had to think of an excuse and then she wanted to leave.

"I'm sorry…it's the blood. I just…I just need to get out of here." She gestured toward the door with her thumb. Her lie was probably believable; her face was pale and she could feel the temperature in her body rising.

Meredith walked over to feel her forehead with the back of her hand. She reached into her lab coat and then had car keys in her grasp. "I don't know how long I'll be. Can you drive okay?" She asked. Avery nodded confidently. But she looked over to see Sheriff Phillips looking apprehensive. He was sitting in a hospital bed with a gash in his neck, yet he was worried about her.

Once the keys were in her grasp, Avery rushed out of the room after promising her aunt she would call as soon as she was home. The Ivy League colleges hadn't accepted her for just any reason. She was smart, close to genius according to every test made by mankind. Every since she was a child, Avery maxed every assessment put in front of her. A researcher studying her intelligence once told her it was because she observed more than the average person and was able to absorb large amounts of information more easily than anyone he'd ever met or studied.

Avery figured things out. If she had questions, she would find the solution. The drive home filled her head with possible answers to the mysteries that were becoming clearer and clearer to her every day. They practically begged her to become solved. Sheriff Phillips was attacked by an animal in the same place on his neck that her family was. An animal killed Chase only a few days before. Such behavior by animals was unnatural. Avery also found it odd that no one spoke of what type of animal it was. There were no wolves in these parts of the country. Bears were found in Virginia but never in such metropolitan regions. It didn't make sense. No animal was capable of causing such harm to humans, especially to a police officer who had a gun and was trained to handle severe situations.

Avery was starting to get a headache. She was had a choice: stop now, forever unknowing, or put an end to all the secrecy. Her fingers tapped on the steering wheel, indecisive. She finally reached the house and texted Meredith that she was home. There was no way she would've been able to hold a verbal conversation. Avery sat in the car, staring at the driveway. Minutes after minutes passed when she finally decided. She needed to know. And if she wanted to, there was no way she wouldn't find out what everyone was hiding.

* * *

**Yes, I know. There was no Kol. I promise...next chapter. I'm sorry to say, it can't be a Avery/Kol love fest every chapter lol. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you to the people who reviewed. They truly make my day.  
**

**Music**

**Later Into the Night - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross **(Searching/Finding)

**Human - Civil Twilight **(Kol)

**Freedom at 21 - Jack White **(The Grill)

* * *

Avery threw her purse on the couch and headed straight toward the closet where she'd found the secret compartment. The first time she viewed all the medical files, she wasn't looking for anything specific. Her search had just been driven by curiosity then. But now, she understood there was something special to look for. She may not know exactly what, but there was a secret waiting to be discovered.

Even though there a significant amount of time before Meredith came home, Avery couldn't stop all of her quick and panicked movements. Her hands roughly pushed the coats aside again to get the box out from the compartment. Everything was still where she had left it. She assumed Meredith hadn't looked at it lately.

Avery's eyes skimmed over all the medical files once again. But nothing stood out more than last time. She couldn't find anything new except Meredith had been the medical examiner that signed all the cases except for her parents and brother. Avery hadn't realized she was the person to do that in town.

She kept viewing the files over and over again for over half an hour when she finally gave up. Avery put the lid back on the files, and stood up to place it back in its hiding spot. That was when the beaten leather gym bag caught her attention again. She had almost completely forgotten about it. Her hand shook as she grabbed for the strap. Somehow she knew that whatever was inside would reveal what she had been searching for. She unzipped the top to find a stack of Polaroids sitting on top of a leather jacket. Her hands started flipping through the photos.

All of the Polaroids were pictures of what looked like a cave wall with drawings on it. Avery recognized the writings as Anglo-Saxon. She'd read about the specific writings in history class once. As she got deeper into the stack, there were post-it-notes stuck on the wall, labeling things. Her heart started racing when she saw labels such as "wolf attack" and "witch". But Avery stopped breathing when she came across a symbol that had been labeled "vampire". How could this be Meredith's bag? She wondered. But she kept flipping through the photos. Now there ones of names engraved onto the wall. The first photo read "Klaus" and "hybrid". The next few read Mikael, Ester, and Elijah. Avery slowed her search when she reached Rebekah. That was Kol's sister's name. She told herself it was a common name and that it happened to be a coincidence. But the next photo had a picture of three symbols spelling out a name. Avery dropped the stack when she read the note that had been placed next to it. After catching her breath, she picked it up off the floor from the pile that had now scattered. It read Kol. Whoever was the crazy person that took these photos was evidently stating Kol was a vampire.

As Avery tried to breath and pick up the photos she dropped, there was something on the bag that caught her eye. Initials were sewn onto the bag; they read A.S. The two letters seemed familiar to her. She went back to the files and found what she was looking for. Alaric Saltzman. He was the one that did not have a single photo to document his death. This must have been his bag.

But the idea of vampires, werewolves, and witches sounded like this man had gone crazy. Maybe Meredith was trying to protect him by taking the bag. But there was a significant part of Avery that believed what she was seeing. Her thoughts wandered to Kol. She told herself to think about, just for a moment, if he were truly a vampire. It would explain why everyone in town told her to stay away from him. They all must know his secret. Then she remembered when Meredith seemed panicked while asking her if Kol had been inside the house. She had been asking if he had been invited in. But he hadn't been invited it. Then Avery realized the first night he had been in the house was when she was drugged. She could have invited him in and never would be able to remember it.

Avery's eyes filled with tears when she thought of how all the victim's deaths were similar. All of them had been attacked at their necks. Her family too, but someone had cut across the bites to try and hide it. The only victim not to be killed by blood loss from the neck was the man who had been stabbed in the heart with a wooden stake. Had he been a vampire? She speculated.

The tears were streaming down her chin and dripping from her chin now. Avery didn't want to believe the absurdity. It was too strange to understand completely. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't deny that it all made sense. It was why no one took her family's death seriously. Someone had known it was a vampire. And they did everything to keep it a secret.

Avery had made up her mind. Meredith was keeping her away from Kol because he was the one that killed their family. She wasn't going to change her theory. As her crying continued, she shoved the stack of Polaroids back into the gym bag. She realized that the bag went deeper than just the leather jacket. Avery slowly removed it; scared she couldn't handle any more discoveries.

When the jacket was removed, Avery gasped. The bag was filled with weapons. She assumed they were specifically for killing vampires. There must have been over a dozen stakes. She picked up one of many glass darts. It was filled with a slightly tinted and transparent liquid. She wondered what the substance was. And a couple grenades of some sort sat in wooden cases. Avery was too scared she would set them off, so she left them alone. But the crossbow was what caught her curiosity. There were skinnier and longer wooden stakes resting next to it. She was mesmerized as she placed one of them in the holder of the crossbow. She notched the string to the latch, loading the weapon.

There was a creak in the floorboards behind her. By some instinct, Avery grabbed the crossbow, holding at the ready in front of her as she turned around. Kol stood calmly, watching her. The weapon was pointed directly at his torso. Avery's finger lingered over the trigger.

"Who told you?" Kol asked evenly.

She still hadn't stopped the tears from dropping. "Nobody told me. I figured it out myself." She didn't want to speak to him, knowing it would make killing him even harder than it already was. "You murdered my family. It was you. That's why you have such an interest in me. It's all just a sick game to you, isn't it? You want to finish what you started." Avery sobbed. She didn't bother trying to stop the shaking in her voice. Her grip on the crossbow was trembling. She wished Kol's face showed some sign of fear, but there was none. _He doesn't think I'll do it, _she thought.

He took a slow step toward her. "Avery, you are quite smart for putting it all together…but you still do not fully understand. I did not kill your family. You must recognize, I am not the only vampire in the world. Why do you believe I am the only one capable of killing them?" He questioned her quietly.

"I don't believe you!" Avery snapped. "Meredith kept telling me to stay away from you. She knew it was you that killed them." Avery still hadn't put down the crossbow yet. Her mind was telling her she should kill him but her heart trembled at the thought. Before either of them could persuade her to the put the weapon down, Avery pulled the trigger and released a stake.

But Kol caught it in his hand effortlessly. In a flash, he was standing inches in front of her. He placed the stake above his chest, hovering over his heart. "Go on. Do it. If you are so sure I murdered your family, kill me." Kol commanded. Avery only stared at him in horror. He was crazy, wanting her to just murder him right there. With his free hand, Kol grabbed hers and forced it to grasp the stake. Avery tried to pull away but he was uncommonly strong.

"I told you it would change the way you think of me." Kol finally murmured as he let her hand go. With it, the stake fell to the ground.

"You lied to me! Everyone lied to me! You're… a vampire, the same monster that killed my parents and my little brother." Avery couldn't continue. She backed to the wall and slowly slid down until her chest was hugging her knees. Her hands wiped away the tears as fast as she could. She could see Kol's feet take a step toward her. "Stay away from me. Just stop pretending." Avery begged. She was too upset to see the hurt in his eyes.

"Did you hurt Sheriff Phillips?" She asked him in between sniffs.

"Pardon? No. I was not even aware he was attacked."

"And what about the Chase?"

"Who?" His confusion caused her to finally look at him.

Avery sighed. "The boy who you saved me from that night in the forest." She clarified. Kol looked away from her when he realized whom she spoke of.

"I killed him." He affirmed nonchalantly.

"You act as if it doesn't mean anything!" She disputed.

"That is because it doesn't! His life meant nothing to me. I did what I wished and for some reason, I saved you in the process." His words seethed out. Kol was becoming angry now. Her reaction to his secret put him in a dark place. Instead of showing the hurt she caused him, he replaced it with rage.

"Now you know how people perceive me. You are just like them, Avery…only seeing what you want. I am a vampire. And I expect you will ignore everything you feel towards me because of it. You will dismiss all that you discovered of me before everything clouded and misled you." There was no sincerity in his voice, only fury. He had started revealing a side of himself no one had seen before, only Avery. And now, she resented it all.

Avery looked up to see that Kol had disappeared.

* * *

The Grill was understaffed for the night. It forced Matt to attempt bartending. Thankfully, it had been a slow day. But he knew that would all change when he saw Kol Mikaelson storming in. The vampire looked as if he was about to kill someone at any second, even more than usual. His eyes caught Matt's as he walked to the bar.

"Absinthe." He hissed at Matt.

"It's two o'clock in the afternoon." He reasoned.

Kol grabbed the neck of Matt's shirt quicker than any human could. "I don't believe I asked for the time. Give me the Absinthe before I decide to rip out your spine and drink you instead." Matt stumbled backward when he was finally let go. He didn't disregard any part of Kol's threat. He quickly poured him a glass.

"Leave the bottle." Kol ordered. Matt didn't argue, as he moved to the other side of the bar, avoiding any more death risks. He cleaned glasses and glanced over at the original vampire, wondering what could have possibly happened to put him in such a mood.

A couple hours later, Kol had gone through the entire bottle of Absinthe. Matt started getting worried, people were beginning to come in for dinnertime. With a drunk and unstable vampire, that also meant dinnertime in a different way.

"Hey Donovan! You're cut for the day. Have a nice night." Matt's boss came out of his office to tell him. But the last thing Matt wanted to do was leave and feel responsible for whatever trouble Kol caused.

"Are you sure? I feel like a rush is heading over soon." He tried to say.

"Donovan if you're not out of here in five minutes, you're fired. I don't really mean that…but… just go home." Before Matt could argue any more, he was back in his office already. Matt sighed and took of his apron before grabbing his backpack from the back room. He had to walk past Kol, no matter what, in order to leave. Matt tried not to make eye contact, as he got closer to him. Just before he got to the door, Matt looked up to see the very person he was trying to avoid was blocking it.

"Going outside?" Kol questioned before dragging him out into the alley. He slammed Matt down onto the cement ground, standing over him.

"I really don't see the point in any of this." Matt said as he tried to get up.

"I'm quite bored and very irritated. As I recall, we never finished what we started the other day. And I've been itching to kill something. I guess you were just at the right place at the right time." Kol didn't slur his words but he could barely stand straight or take a step without losing his balance. Obviously, he was drunk after downing an entire bottle of some of the most potent alcohol.

"Look man, they're already planning on how to end your entire species. Killing me will only make matters worse." Matt said as he tried to get up, but Kol kicked him back to the ground. He groaned in pain, sure that one of his ribs had been cracked with the blow.

"He's right, you know. Matt has no part in this. Leave him alone." A voice said calmly behind them. Kol turned to see Stefan Salvatore watching them with his arms crossed. Kol sneered at him. He was just another toy to add to the game.

"You think I am worried about a few cops who know how to kill a vampire?" Kol said mockingly as he moved away from Matt to walk toward Stefan.

Stefan looked over Kol's shoulder at Matt. "Go home, Matt." The human struggled to get up with his broken rib. Slowly, he made he way past the two vampires. He kept waiting for Kol to burst into speed and finish him off. But the original didn't break eye contact with Stefan.

Once Matt was gone, Stefan continued talking. "The new sheriff in town was just the beginning. He's part of a family that's been around for centuries, a family that trains their entire lives to be vampire hunters. Unlike you, we actually care about staying alive. If you continue going on a human killing rampage, you're going to force them to act with their plan that we don't know about yet. So stop being an idiot and stop drawing attention where it doesn't need to be."

Kol grinned. "Are you telling me I am supposed to be worried about Sheriff Phillips?" He laughed a little at the idea. Kol had already had multiple chances to kill the young officer, but he passed them up. He made a note that he would be less merciful in the near future.

"Maybe, but I'm more worried about his family that is supposedly coming into town in a few days." Stefan paused a moment. "If your mother can think of a way to kill an original vampire, I'm sure they can too."

Kol narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. "And why are you telling me all of this? None of you are part of my bloodline."

"No, we're not. But none of us know where exactly Klaus is. I thought maybe you could pass the word on. Like I said, we prefer to stay alive." Stefan started walking away but paused after a few steps. "And I'm assuming Elijah would want to know also, seeing as the girl he loves _is_ connected to your line."

* * *

**Thoughts? Ehhh?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Music**

**Justine - Julia Stone **(Matt)

**The Death & Resurrection Show - Killing Joke **(Kol)

**Do You Want To Come With? - Stephen Fretwell **(Avery/Kol)

* * *

The hardest part about discovering the truth of Mystic Falls was acting like it had never happened. Avery didn't want Meredith, or anyone besides Kol, to realize she knew all the secrets they had kept from her. It had been days since the night she tried to kill Kol in her panic from learning the truth. She felt slightly betrayed by everyone for never telling her. Except she also knew they did it to protect her, to protect her from Kol. But was he really someone she needed to be sheltered from? In some such way, Avery believed Kol when he said he was not the vampire who killed her family. But that didn't mean he wasn't capable of killing anyone else.

Avery started deliberating if Kol was the person everyone thought he was or if he was the other Kol, the one he only seemed to be around her and only her. Was it really fair that she had judged him hatefully without really giving him a chance? She shook her head, reminding herself that he was a murderer.

Avery knew if she continued to keep all of her thoughts to herself, she would go insane. She needed to talk to someone.

Her hand instinctively went for her phone. "We need to talk." She text Matt. Her fingers drummed against the desk as she waited impatiently for his reply. Her cell phone vibrated in her hand as it received its reply.

"I'll pick you up." He responded. Matt immediately knew what it was they were going to talk about. He didn't realize how, but Avery knew of the supernatural beings that filled the town of Mystic Falls. Ten minutes later, Matt was sitting in Avery's driveway with his pick-up truck.

Matt didn't wait to start their conversation. As soon as Avery close the passenger door, he started asking questions. "How did you find out?" He knew no one would tell her. She must have figured it out on her own.

"I have to ask you some questions first. You at least owe me that."

He looked at her a moment, debating if he should do what she asked. But he put his car in reverse and started backing out of the driveway. "The Grill should be empty at this time of day. We'll be able to talk there." She nodded, thankful that she was finally getting the answers she sought.

"What do you want to know?" Matt asked as they sat down at a booth in the corner of the restaurant.

"Why didn't you just tell me? Why did you try so hard to keep it a secret?" Avery asked. Her voice was filled with tiredness. She had been over everything in her mind so much that she was mentally and emotionally exhausted.

"I used to be you. My friends kept all of this a secret from me. Yeah, it sucked not knowing the truth. But when I think back to the time where I was completely clueless, my life was also a lot simpler…and easy. I just saw a little bit of that in you when we first met. You'd already been through so much with your family, Meredith and I just wanted to keep you out of it as long as possible."

Avery exhaled. His answer didn't really surprise her. He was right; everything was simpler before she found out. Of course it was. How could life not get complicated when the paranormal became a part of it? "The friends that you told me about…what happened to them? I've never seen you with them. They weren't at the party you took me to."

Matt looked at his hands that were carelessly placed on the table. His nails were uneven and his skin had random, small cuts and bruises. "There's a lot going on here than I think you realize. So much happened before you came to town." Avery just waited. She wouldn't let him get out of telling her anything she wanted to hear. After a few minutes of silence, Matt finally told her the horrifying stories of Mystic Falls. He explained how all of his friends and him were caught in wars and problems that never should have been theirs. Avery's heart started racing when he occasionally brought up Kol. But his family wasn't the start of their problems. Things had become difficult long before they came to town.

Avery had lost track of time, unknowing of how long Matt had talked in his hushed voice. "Caroline is on the run. So is Tyler, and everyone in town thinks he's dead. Elena locks herself in the boarding house because scared she'll hurt someone. All that's really left of us is Bonnie, Jeremy, and me. Vampires ruined this town. They destroyed all of our lives." Matt finally finished.

"They destroyed mine too." She whispered, her eyes zoning out.

"What?" Matt asked.

She finally snapped out of her thoughts and looked back at him. "I realized that their death wasn't an accident. A vampire killed them. I saw their bodies." But something else came to mind. "But they can't all be evil, can they? The Salvatores that you were talking about…they helped you. They sound good."

Even though he wanted to say that just because they had a few good moments, didn't make them moral. But Matt realized he couldn't narrow such a depiction on vampires. In fact, that trait made them more human than anything else.

"It's true…I mean, Stefan basically saved my life from Kol the other night." Matt said as he scratched his head. He was still completely oblivious to her feelings toward the original vampire. Even Avery was still confused about them. "Actually, he's saved my life multiple times." He muttered.

"What do you mean 'from Kol'? He almost killed you?" Avery's voice rose.

He sat up straight, getting into the story he was about to tell. "I don't know. It was a few days ago. I was working the bar and he came in, completely pissed off about something. He was just trying to find someone to kill…he came in looking for trouble. I was unlucky and he was drunk. But I _was_ lucky enough that Stefan was there." Matt finished. He looked up to see Avery's mouth slightly open. If she was right, Kol had gone to the grill immediately after he found her crying over her findings. She suddenly was relieved that Matt wasn't killed. If anything had happened to somebody, she would have held herself responsible.

"Matt, will you please do something for me? Even though I know you won't want to…can you just do it anyway?" Avery asked slowly. The way she phrased her question made him nervous. But he still felt like he owed her something, so he carefully nodded and waited for her to elaborate.

"Can you take me to the Mikaelson mansion?" She asked, not looking him in the eyes. She knew that she was supposed to see Kol as a monster. But if that were true, she would've been able to stop herself from thinking about him the past few days. Avery told herself that she had nothing to lose anymore. And her heart refused to allow her feelings toward Kol to die.

"Avery, when I agreed that not all vampires were evil…I wasn't talking about Kol!" Matt snapped. "He's one of the most dangerous ones." He warned.

"You may be right. But you also don't see him like I do." She urged.

"Do you realize how stupid you sound right now? This is real life, Avery. He's crazy. And just because you know the truth now, won't stop me from keeping you away from him."

"I have to see him, Matt. I'm going either way. You can't stop me. Go ahead and call Meredith…or the cops, just like last time. But I'm going." Avery declared as she got up from her seat and started walking toward the door. She stepped onto the sidewalk, breathing heavily. She heard the door jingle again as someone else walked out the door. She turned to see Matt.

"You're making the wrong decision." He stated evenly.

Avery sighed. "There's no way either of us can know that…not yet."

"I'll take you." Matt finally declared as he flipped his car keys around his finger. Just because he agreed to it didn't mean he liked the idea. But last time he tried to control someone, it ended with both of them at the bottom of the river. Only one of them came out alive. After that, he shouldn't act like he knew what was best for everyone. He was still a kid, just like Avery.

"Thank you, Matt." She whispered as she followed him to his truck.

They now sat in the gravel driveway of the Mikaelson Mansion. Avery stared at the front door as Matt watched her closely. "Are you sure you want to do this? Do you want me to go in with you?" He asked her.

She immediately shook her head. "No. I don't think that would be a good idea. I'm fine. I know what I need to say…I just don't want to." Avery whispered. She turned to face him to see that he was filled with worry. He didn't think she would walk out of the mansion alive. "Matt…he's not going to hurt me."

"How do you know?" He challenged.

"He just won't, okay?" She opened the car door. "I'll see you later." Matt didn't move the car until Avery reached the front door. He couldn't stay any longer to wait and watch. If he saw something happen, he wouldn't even be able to help.

Avery knocked on the door. Almost seconds later, it started opening. She looked up to see it was Rebekah who answered. "Well, look who it is." The vampire spoke with her usual condescending tone. Avery narrowed her eyes.

"I'm quite surprised to see you here. I thought you were too scared of the truth for me to ever see your face again." Rebekah continued and waited for Avery to reply with an unpleasant retort. But there was none. She waited patiently for Rebekah to stop irritating her so she could finally ask if Kol was even there.

"He's here, if that's what you came for." Rebekah finally stated as she opened the door wider. As soon as Avery walked in, she heard music blasting from somewhere upstairs. "I find it rather annoying how easily he adjusts to modern society. He's been in his room for days…trying not to kill someone." Rebekah continued. She smiled when she noticed the jump in Avery's heart and the widening of her eyes at the thought of Kol murdering someone.

Avery had enough of listening to Rebekah's comments. She started walking toward the stairs that lead to Kol's room. But Rebekah grabbed onto her arm. She tried to be forceful without overusing her vampire strength. Avery stopped and looked at her, slightly afraid.

"I don't understand my brother's obsession with you, nor do I really care to. But a word of advice: don't try and change him. You'll only hurt him with your disappointment when he can't." Rebekah disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Avery let out a breath. But even with her relief, she still took Rebekah's thoughts seriously. Except what Rebekah truly meant was hard for Avery to understand completely. She headed toward Kol's room again.

The music was playing so loudly, she thought it would forever leave a ringing in her ear. She knocked on the door but felt ridiculous. There was no way he would be able to hear it over the music. Avery slowly opened the door, unaware of what she would find. Rebekah said he was trying not to let himself kill anyone. _Was that really such a hard feat? _Avery questioned.

She walked into Kol's room to see him on the floor. His back was to the door, doing pushups at an impressive speed. He had no shirt on, allowing her to see the glaze of sweat across his skin. The stereo playing the loud music was only a few feet away from Avery. She walked over to it and eventually found the off button.

Kol stopped mid-pushup, but didn't look up. "Rebekah, do not test me." He growled. Avery hesitated before speaking. She didn't know how to start.

"I just needed to see you." She whispered. The sound of her voice caused Kol to whip his head in her direction. Obviously he hadn't expected anyone but his sister to interrupt him. Slowly, he stood up off the ground. But he didn't walk toward her, only waited for her to continue. He was still a stunned at seeing her.

"It wasn't fair what I did. I should have let you explain. I was confused and I thought I'd figured out everything. But I'm realizing that there is so much more to this than I could ever learn on my own." Avery looked at the ground as she spoke.

Kol sped across the room. Now that she knew, he saw no point in hiding his true nature. If she wanted the truth, she would get it. But Avery still backed away in surprise and fright.

"Now that you know, you fear me." Kol identified quietly.

Avery's eyes started watering but she wouldn't let herself start to cry. Her lips trembled at the disallowance. "I know you've killed people. You could kill me right now if you wanted to. Human life doesn't seem to mean anything to you. I shouldn't feel the way I do about you…but I can't help it."

Kol stepped close to her. This time she didn't recoil. "If you lived for as long as I have, you would understand that things become less significant. The guilt of killing an innocent human-being is one of them." He stepped away and walked toward a dresser. He quickly grabbed a t-shirt and threw it on. "They will tell you I am unstable…that I have killed hundreds. It's all true. I do not wish for you to ever stop believing that you're too good for me. Because you are."

"Why can't you just stop murdering people?" Avery whispered. Kol stopped walking and tilted his head. He was starting to realize that it was the only thing that was keeping her uncertain about her feelings.

"I won't kill you if that is what you're getting at."

"I already knew that somehow. But that's not what I'm asking." She clarified.

There was a stroke of silence in the room. It became so quiet, even Avery could hear the tick of the clock next to Kol's bed. "Because I enjoy it." Kol finally replied, bringing life back into the room.

It wasn't what Avery wanted to hear. She started walking toward the door. "I shouldn't have come here. I'm sorry, Kol. But I can't do this. I look at you and you…you make me feel guilty. You admit to doing these horrible things, showing no remorse or signs that you want to change." Avery wanted to say more but she'd given up. She turned back toward the door again but gasped when Kol was already standing in the way.

"Why does it matter? Why do your feelings for me make you feel guilty?" Kol was starting to get frustrated. And he wasn't going to let her leave until she was honest with him and with herself.

"Because you're a vampire, Kol." Avery tried to sound firm but it came out like she was trying to convince herself.

"No…that's not why, it's because you simply won't allow yourself to be happy. And you can't admit that it's exactly what you are when you're with me."

Everything he said made Avery angry. Because it was true and it bothered her how he figured it out before she could. She glared at him, refusing to let him think that he'd found the truth.

"You're just so sure of yourself, aren't you?" She hissed before shoving past him. But he immediately caught up with her rushing pace down the hall.

"I know you didn't walk here." Kol said with a smirk. It was as if they didn't just have their serious discussion. She envied how he just controlled his emotions like they were a switchboard.

"Matt dropped me off. I can walk." Avery said as she walked down the stairs.

Kol ignored the annoyance he received when hearing the boy's name. "I should buy you car." He indicated darkly. She didn't recognize that he really would.

"I can buy myself a car…I just haven't."

"Well…for now, I'm taking you home." He said it so sternly that he left absolutely no room for argument from Avery. She sighed and eventually nodded her head. Out of nowhere, Rebekah came out of a nearby room and walked away from them to the staircase. She was talking on the phone with someone. It was the first time Avery had ever seen her smile, or not look threatening in general. Avery looked over at Kol to see he appeared concentrated, as if he was listening to something. She was starting to apprehend that vampires had heightened senses and power.

"Who is she talking to?" She finally asked him.

"Just a friend." Kol replied after a moment. He didn't say any thing more and she didn't ask any other questions as they walked out the front door.

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**Thoughts?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you so much to anyone that reviewed the last chapter. About the phone call that Rebekah had. I won't tell you who it was (I'm sure you can figure it out on your own). But I will say it was NOT Matt. A few people asked about that. Anyways...it's really strange uploading at this time of day. I'm so used to adding chapters at like 3 in the morning lol. **

**Music**

**Can You Tell - Ra Ra Riot **(Helping)

**Bedroom Eyes - Dum Dum Girls **(Carnival)

**Cornucopia/Bloodbath - James Newton Howard **(Chaos)

**Each Coming Night - Iron & Wine **(Sleeping)

* * *

"Come on…it will be fun!" Matt urged as he climbed off the latter. He had been sucked into helping decorate for the Summer Starter Carnival. And then forced Avery to go with him because he didn't want to leave her home alone. They just got done hanging the dangling lights across the carnival's main entrance.

Matt took a step back and admired their work. "Caroline always loved doing this stuff." Avery didn't miss the sadness in his voice as he spoke more to himself than her. She looked at him sympathetically but he was in a different place, perhaps in a time when all his friends were together and everything was normal.

"Fine. I'll go with you." Avery muttered.

Matt's face immediately lit up. "Good! I think Jeremy and Bonnie are coming too. I'll pick you up around 8." His excitement made her smile. He was just happy to do something ordinary. Matt searched for normalcy as if it was most rare and prized possession in the world.

"Nicely done. You managed not to make a complete mess of it." A catty British accent said from behind them. Rebekah stood with her high heels on and a clipboard in her hands. "Get started on the balloons." She commanded and walked away without giving them time to respond.

"Rebekah! That's who asked you to help?" Avery asked loudly.

"Shh. She can probably hear you." Matt whispered.

"As if I give a damn! She tried to kill you. And she _did_ kill Elena."

"Hey…Do I judge you and Kol? Have I told anyone? No." He defended. "She doesn't have any friends. I was just doing her a favor by helping with the carnival."

"Maybe she'd have friends if she stopped trying to kill everyone." Avery muttered under her breath and she started filling a balloon with helium. But Matt heard her and tried to hide his smirk.

* * *

Later into the night, the carnival came alive. There were lights hanging overhead and rides scattered across the town's square. The air was filled with laughter and joyful squeals. Avery hated to admit it, but Rebekah really knew how to plan a carnival. Matt had picked her up, like he'd promised. They had just arrived. And Matt dragged her to the ticket booth so she didn't have an excuse not to go on any of the rides.

"There's Bonnie and Jeremy." He pointed out. Avery turned to see whom he was pointing at. Neither of his friends looked any more excited to be there than she was. Jeremy looked tired, with dark shadows under his eyes. It seemed like he hadn't slept in weeks. Bonnie had a strange peculiarity to her. There was a darkness that almost seemed hidden, but ready to expose itself. However, Avery wasn't able to see any of that.

"Hey, I'm Jeremy." The boy said with his hand outstretched. Avery forced a smile and shook his hand softly. "And I'm Bonnie. It's nice to meet you." The girl said. Avery cursed herself for being so quiet. She didn't always mean to be, it just happened sometimes.

"Guys, this is Avery." Matt spoke for her. They had mutual understanding about Avery's silence. And she would be forever grateful for how he didn't mind it.

Bonnie's jaw dropped a little as she looked at something behind both Matt and Avery. The other three matched where she was looking. Avery didn't recognize the people they were now staring at. It was two boys and a girl that looked so similar to Jeremy that she knew it had to be Elena. Which also meant the other two had to be the Salvatore brothers. They didn't look anything alike. But what they did have in common was the magnetic pull they both had toward Elena. They seemed to be her personal guard. However, Elena didn't seem to notice.

"I can't believe she came." Bonnie muttered in awe. The four of them started walking toward the brothers and her. She didn't look like it had been her choice to come to the silly carnival.

Avery stood to the side. She felt out of place among such friends. She recognized that it was a special moment for all of them to be together again. If she was correct, the only two missing were Tyler and Caroline.

"I hope you don't mind us tagging along. We didn't want to miss out on any of the fun." Damon said with a mischievous gleam in his eye. It instantly reminded Avery of Kol.

Matt ignored the vampire's comment as he walked toward Elena and gave her a hug. She smiled shyly at him as she pulled away. Avery suddenly felt awkward, feeling like she'd intruded on something she didn't belong to. But she saw something in the way Matt looked at the new vampire. Avery realized that he loved her. Matt had told her they used to date, but it was clear the feelings hadn't faded for him.

"You must be Avery." She assumed it was Stefan who had snuck up to her side. "I'm Stefan Salvatore." He said kindly. She looked over at him with a kind grin. He must have picked up on her how uncomfortable she was. "She refuses to see anyone but my brother and me. We thought it'd be good for her to get back to normal things." Stefan explained quietly. Elena was too busy saying hello to her friends to overhear him talking about her.

"I don't know about you guys, but I need a drink." Damon said, interrupting all conversation. Everyone rolled his or her eyes at him.

"Damon, it's a carnival not an open bar." Elena said.

"Well…I guess I'll make due with cotton candy." Damon said sarcastically. They all split up. Damon and Stefan didn't leave Elena's side. Apparently, they were there to make sure Elena didn't eat any of the carnival attendees. Matt and Bonnie hadn't seen Elena in awhile, so they joined her.

"Come on, I'll win you a stuffed animal or something cheesy like that." Jeremy said to Avery. His joke made her laugh. Clearly he wasn't trying to hit on her; he just didn't want her to feel left out. They walked over to the Skee Ball booth. Just as Jeremy gave the operator a few tickets and started throwing, Avery got that strange feeling again, like someone was watching her. She found it odd how it only started when she'd arrived in Mystic Falls.

"Avery." She heard someone whisper. It was so quiet but also seemed like it was echoing. No one else appeared to be hearing it. The whisper sounded like it was coming from behind the booth. She started walking around to the back, which was the end of the carnival and only left a large field that eventually led to a thick forest. Jeremy was too into the game to notice her lure toward the sound.

Carefully, Avery walked away from the carnival to the middle of the field. All the booths rears faced her, shielding her from the crowds. She did a slow, complete turn but found nothing except the brushing of tree limbs and leaves blowing in the slight breeze. Finally giving up, she had one last glance at the forest beyond before turning back to the carnival. But Kol stood half a foot away from her as she turned. Avery jumped and gasped at the surprise, which only put a smirk on his mouth.

"You're horrible. Why can't you be normal and just say hi?" She questioned as she tried to steady her breathing and heart rate.

"Because this is more fun, of course." He teased.

She hit him, fully aware that she could never harm him. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

Kol sighed, annoyed. "Well, I hadn't exactly planned on it. But my dear sister ultimately forced me. Rebekah can throw quite a fit when she doesn't get what she wants. Sometimes it's best just to give in." Avery smiled at how easily he was persuaded by his sister. He must have noticed it because his mood immediately changed. His annoyance disappeared. Kol stepped closer to her. "But now that I see you're here, I'm glad I was forced." He finished charmingly.

Avery rolled her eyes was but still laughed a little. She couldn't help it. "I have to get back to my friends or they'll notice I'm gone soon."

Kol's eyes narrowed. "Who?" She took in a deep breath and quickly sputtered out all the names of Matt's friends. She immediately noticed his eyes deepen at the mention of Damon. Apparently, he was not a fan of that particular Salvatore.

"You deserve more suitable company." Kol commented.

"Well, I guessed you weren't a big fan of carnivals. Do you want to go back with me?" She questioned softly.

"I don't imagine that would be very good idea." He said after a moment's thought. Avery didn't realize that he wanted to do normal things with her. But they couldn't be seen together in such a public place. Kol had already seen a few cops walking around. And the chance of the Salvatore brothers recognizing his interest in Avery bothered him. He didn't want anyone to identify her as a point of weakness.

Before she could ask why he couldn't just join her and her new friends, he was staring off and listening to something she could not. "You better go. You're friends are looking for you." He stated. She didn't have a chance to ask any more questions. Avery only nodded her head and took a few steps backward before turning away from Kol to head back. After a few steps toward the carnival, she turned back around to see Kol had disappeared.

Avery walked back the Skee Ball booth that where she'd left Jeremy. Her cheeks flushed when everyone was together, clearly looking for her. The Salvatore brothers were the first to see her walk out of the darkness. But Matt was the first to say something. "Avery, where the hell did you go? We thought something might have happened to you."

She awkwardly gestured toward the field behind the carnival. "Sorry…I thought I heard someone call my name." While everyone else believed the horrible lie, Damon's eyes pointed. But she didn't notice since she was looking at the ground.

Once everyone was satisfied with Avery's safety, they all split up into smaller groups. Matt didn't leave her side. He suspected that Kol would show up and he planned on being there when he did. Avery and Jeremy were in the middle of cheering on Matt at the strongman game when she noticed two police officers standing nearby. They seemed deep in conversation. But she immediately recognized Sheriff Phillips as one of them. She muttered something to Matt before walking toward them.

Sheriff Phillip's back was to her but the other officer caught Avery's gaze, causing both of them to turn around to look at her. She couldn't help but notice the warm smile he had at the sight of her.

"I thought I'd just come over and say hi. How are you feeling?" As she asked, her eyes were pulled toward the scar he had on his neck. It wasn't just two fang marks that had been left; an entire curved line scarred. There were still yellow and dark purple bruises covering the injury.

He was in his sheriff mode, but she could see a little of his true self, trying to peek through. "I'm doing just fine. To be honest, I didn't expect to see you here." It was supposed to be taken as a question.

"Yeah…I helped Matt set up earlier and then he dragged me along with him and his friends." She shrugged and pointed to Matt who was now being tormented by Jeremy about getting an embarrassing score on the game.

"I see. Well, are you having any fun?" Sheriff Phillips tilted his head and crossed his arms, not believing that she was. He had a grin as he waited for her attempt at lying, knowing she would try.

"I will say that I do enjoy watching Matt get extremely competitive with rigged games. I don't have the heart to tell him that he really has no control." Avery looked back over at Matt he was clearly yelling at the game and Jeremy just laughed at him. She smiled as she watched them but then turned back to Sheriff Phillips seriously. "I'm glad you're alright Sheriff Phillips. I guess I'll see you around." She dug her toe into the dirt and had her hands shoved into her pockets as she spoke.

"I'm pretty sure I told you it was Ben." He said firmly.

"I thought that was only when you weren't wearing a uniform." Avery opposed as she narrowed her eyes at him. With the other officer pretending that he wasn't listening, she didn't feel like it was appropriate to call him by his first name.

But he simply shook his head no. Avery nodded and started walking back toward her friends. "Hey, Avery." He stopped her with his strict tone. She spun. "Stay with your friends, okay?"

Avery looked at him blankly. Her reaction was genuine. But as she turned back around, she realized she gave the perfect response. Avery realized he had been worrying about her getting attacked by a vampire. Now that she knew all the secrets, she quite enjoyed acting ignorant to it all.

It was getting later into the night. Most of the families had taken their kids home, leaving mainly teenagers and young couples. Avery was about to try and go home, if Matt allowed it. After seeing Kol, she desperately searched for him for the rest of the night. But not once had she spotted him. He'd either left, or was very good at hiding. She was already sick of keeping Kol and her a secret.

Avery stood right next to the tall Ferris wheel with Damon and Matt. Stefan, Elena, Jeremy, and Bonnie waited in line for the ride. Damon seemed bored with all the festivities. He hadn't said a word to Avery the whole night. She had gone ahead and assumed he wasn't very good at making friends. Avery looked at Matt, about to ask him if he could take her home. But suddenly screams broke out all around her. Everyone looked around to see what had caused such a reaction.

The giant Ferris wheel had somehow broke out in flames. Avery could feel the warmth from the fire. Pieces of lit metal were already falling off the ride, catching on other booths. In a few minutes, Avery was surrounded by fire. She had frozen from awe and confusion at how unnaturally it spread. But people immediately panicked, running toward any exit their eyes could find through the smoke and flames. The crowd shoved past people in their alarm. Avery somehow got pushed away from Matt and Damon. She swore she could hear Matt calling her name. But her ears were drowned in screaming and feet trampling the hard ground. Every time she tried to move, someone charged her in another direction. The smoke started getting to her and she was beginning to panic.

The Ferris wheel somehow no longer had any passengers. But it started to creak and protest under the flames, like it would collapse any moment. Avery was right in its range but she was too small to push herself away. She coughed and her eyes now burned from the heat and air. But suddenly, she felt a pair of arms roughly grab her. They fought through the crowd at a strength she could never muster. Instead of going with the flow or against it, they pulled her to the side.

Avery was now in the field from before. She dropped to the ground and coughed uncontrollably. When she finally caught her breath, she looked up to see who had saved her. Kol gazed down at her. He seemed completely untouched by the flames and smoke. Gently, he helped her back onto her feet. His eyes raced across her body, checking to see if she had any serious injuries.

"Are you hurt?" He asked roughly.

Avery just slowly shook her head as an answer. She looked at the carnival that had turned into chaos within seconds. "I don't understand. It happened so fast. The flames went up like…like…"

"Magic?" Kol offered. His comment made her turn quickly to watch him, judging to see if he was serious. "We should leave." He said as he grabbed her hand.

"My friends…we have to help them." Avery urged, ripping her hand away.

"They can take care of themselves. I'm sure they're all fighting over who will save Elena's life as we speak." Avery didn't understand the meaning of his comment. But he didn't notice her perplexity. Kol offered his hand this time, waiting for her to trust him that they would all be fine. Avery turned and gave the burning carnival one last look before finally sighing as she took his hand.

Avery was silent, preoccupied with worry, for the entire car ride home. It wasn't until they were back at her house that she received a call from Matt.

"Are you okay?" He rushed before she could even say anything.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm home. Is everyone alright?" Avery asked. Matt assured her that all of his friends made it out okay. He sounded like he knew more about the fire than he was saying at the moment. She decided she'd ask him after all of them had calmed down. She never mentioned Kol in the conversation.

"Well, everyone is okay." Avery stated after she hung up. She was unaware that Kol could perfectly hear her conversation on his own.

"Good. I was truly worried about that." Kol said sarcastically as he got out of the car. Avery rolled her eyes at his reaction as she followed his lead. There was a streak of soot on her cheek. Kol lightly wiped it away with his thumb as they stood at the front door. Avery was suddenly exhausted from the night's chaos. But she didn't want to leave Kol. He walked inside without getting an invitation. He didn't let it show, but he didn't want to leave her side quite yet. Tonight he was reminded that humans were not only in danger from vampires. Their lives were so fragile. It made him want to stay with her.

Avery locked the door shut behind her and walked to her room without saying a word. She collapsed carelessly on top of her bed. Kol leaned against the doorframe with an amused smirk. She already seemed to be falling asleep.

"Where's Meredith?" He asked softly.

"She must have just left for her 36 hour shift…probably won't be back until dinner time tomorrow." Avery muttered with her eyes closed. Kol watched her for a moment before he shifted his weight toward the front door. She heard the squeak of the floorboard and opened her eyes to look at him. "You don't have to leave. I barely got to see you tonight." She whispered to him and then smiled timidly. "Come here." Kol slowly walked over to the edge of the bed that she wasn't resting on. Avery moved so she was resting on her side, looking up at him. "Don't go." She requested quietly. Her voice was raspy and weak from inhaling all the smoke.

Before she could see if he would stay, her eyelids closed again. Kol sighed and looked at the empty space on the bed. He couldn't ever remember a time where he just simply slept next to someone. It never happened without a certain act happening beforehand. He lay down next to Avery, staring at the ceiling with an arm behind his head. It felt innocent but yet so right. There was no lust in the action. He turned to look at her. The moonlight seemed to be reflecting off her pale skin and made her black hair almost glow. Kol could smell her cherry blossom scent so easily. He couldn't help himself as he ran a finger across her cheekbone.

"That feels nice." She mumbled. Kol hadn't realized she was still awake. Avery scooted closer to him, getting rid of the small space that had been between them. He didn't expect it and stiffened when her small body fit into his. After a second of hesitation, Kol wrapped his arm around her so his hand rested on her lower back. Avery sighed in content at his touch. Kol never imagined he'd ever experience this kind of connection. He'd completely misjudged the feeling of simply sleeping next to someone he cared about. But then he realized he'd never cared about anyone like he did for Avery. After tonight, he didn't think he'd ever be able to let her go.

* * *

**Would it be too much to ask for some lovely reviews? :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Ok I need to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for everyone that reviewed. I got some AWESOME feedback and it made me write this chapter so must faster lol. So yeah, you guys are awesome. REALLY.**

**Music**

**How Can I Tell You - Cat Stevens **(Waking Up)

**Clement Danes - Goldmund **(Stories)

**Apricot - Basil Hogios **(Avery)

* * *

Avery slowly awoke from her sleep. She looked around to see that her back was pressed against Kol's chest. His arms were holding her closely to his body. She could feel Kol's steady breathing against the back of her neck. A smile slowly formed on her lips. She could sense him waking from his sleep. Kol moved a little, but his grip on her only tightened. Avery struggled a little to get out of his grasp and face him. She waited for him to open his eyes.

"Kol." She whispered through a smile. But Kol had been awake the whole time and was faking his sleep. "Kol, wake up." Avery requested with a laugh. She waited but he still didn't seem awake. She leaned forward and lightly kissed him. Kol finally broke into a smirk. "Such a faker." Avery laughed as she started to get off the bed. But Kol grabbed her, pulling her back onto the bed and into his arms.

He looked at her before he pressed his lips against hers. As they pulled away, Avery's smile had completely disappeared. She stared into Kol's eyes seriously. Things felt different between them. Usually what she was feeling toward Kol would scare her. But she wasn't frightened of the emotions growing inside.

"I've decided that we're going to spend the day together." Avery declared. She was not resting on her side, her elbow propped up and supporting her.

"Is that so?" Kol questioned. He was hiding any interest for the idea.

"Let's go swimming." She said eagerly. He smiled at how her eyes lit up at the thought. He shrugged his shoulders. But inside his mind, he knew he would do absolutely anything with her.

Once Avery was convinced her plan was a go, she jumped off the bed and went into the bathroom. Kol slowly got up and went to the kitchen, looking around. None of the human food appealed to him. Even when he was on a sufficient amount of blood, he never really saw the point or the enjoyment in it.

Papers on the small table caught his attention. Some of them were medical files. He remembered that was what Avery had been looking at the night she figured out he was a vampire.

Avery walked into the kitchen. Her hair was up then she was wearing cotton shorts and an oversized t-shirt to cover her bathing suit. "Ready to go?" She asked.

"How did you know your family had been killed by vampires?" He asked curiously. It was as if a light inside of her had been blown out. The mentioning of her family made all her energy and happiness disappear instantly. Kol immediately regretted bringing the subject up. But Avery quietly walked over to the closet and grabbed the files from the compartment. She handed her family's profiles to him without even glancing at them herself.

Kol studied them for a moment. His eyes narrowed in interest. "What? What is it?" Avery asked him. She sounded excited at the possibility of learning more.

"You're right. It was a vampire. But they must have just been turned. An older vampire would have known how to properly dispose of their prey." He pointed to the strange lines carved into their necks from the picture. "These marks were clearly made to hide the fang's bite. They must have panicked and tried to make sure it didn't appear to be a vampire attack." Kol handed her back the files. She looked emotionless as she packed everything back into its place.

"Avery…" He started.

"It's okay. I'm glad you told me." She eyed him and saw that he wasn't convinced. "I'm fine. Let's go." She tried to put on a smile but Kol frowned at how fake it was. But she didn't try to convince him further. Avery wrote a note to Meredith to tell her she was out with friends, hoping she would just assume it was Matt and his friends. That way it didn't feel like she was lying.

A few minutes later, they were parked in front of Kol's mansion once again. No matter how many times she went there, Avery would forever be entranced with its exquisiteness. They had to go inside so Kol could change. And he mentioned something about her grabbing food from the kitchen. He was getting used to remembering she had to eat more frequently than he did. She was confused at why vampires would have human food at their house.

As they walked in, Kol froze as soon as he shut the door. Avery waited for him to explain since he clearly caught something that she didn't. But he didn't have time to answer her before Klaus walked into the main entrance of the mansion. Avery looked up at Kol to try and read his reaction. But it was indecipherable, she couldn't tell if he was mad or happy about seeing whomever this person was.

"No one told me you were coming back, Nik." Kol stated darkly.

Klaus edged closer to them, his eyes locked on Avery's. "I wasn't aware that I had to inform you when I was returning to my own mansion." He stated. "She smells quite sweet…for dinner?" Klaus gestured casually at Avery. He mistook her silence and motionlessness for compulsion. She didn't mean to, but she took a step closer to Kol. She immediately knew that it was Niklaus after the comment about the mansion being his. Avery didn't like the way he was looking at her. She knew that the mention about eating her was no joke.

"She's not for you." Kol said calmly.

Klaus narrowed his eyes at his brother. It took him a moment to realize that she was not just a victim to suck dry. "Oh, I must apologize then. I'm Niklaus." He stepped forward, softly grabbed Avery's hand, and raised it to his lips. He had no interest in the girl; he simply enjoyed provoking his younger brother. Klaus glanced up to see that it worked. Kol's jaw line was clenched and his eyes were glaring.

"Are you finished with your fabricated charm?" Kol hissed.

Klaus smirked at him, glad that he was getting a rise out of his brother. Avery was quickly catching onto the similarities between the two of them. But Kol shoved past Klaus, knowing Avery would follow. He didn't want to touch her in front of him, knowing Klaus would read his feelings through every graze.

Avery paused a moment, watching as Kol walked toward the stairs and then turned her glance at Klaus. The older Mikaelson observed her actions closely. "You didn't give me your name, love." He pointed out to her.

She wanted to ignore him. And now his remark caught Kol's attention. He waited at the bottom of the stairs for her. She swallowed deeply. "Avery." Her throat was dry at the strange attention she was receiving. Without waiting for another charismatic remark from Klaus, she quickly walked toward Kol.

When they reached his room, Kol slammed the door shut. "I'm sorry, did I miss something? I didn't realize you hated your brother so much." Avery asked, baffled. Anyone would have been able to feel the tension between the two.

Kol swiftly moved toward her, causing her to freeze under he abruptness. He put a finger over her lips and then pointed to his ear. She slowly nodded, understanding that Klaus could still hear them. He rushed to grab his things. Avery was confused at how rapidly his mood had darkened. He was angry and she couldn't help but think it was because of her. But she didn't want to say anything if his brother could hear them. That would only make matters worse.

It wasn't until they were deep into the forest that she spoke up. "Do I have permission to speak now?" Avery said mockingly. But Kol didn't find it amusing and only nodded his head. "What was that all about?" She continued.

"I do not hate my brother. I was caught off guard by his return. I would not have brought you there if I had known he was back."

"Why does it matter? I mean…was he really being serious about killing me?" Avery was struggling to keep up with Kol. He was walking at a fast speed, and her shorter legs and humanness couldn't match his pace. On top of that, he completely ignored her question. "KOL!" She finally shouted furiously. The rise in her voice surprised him to a halt. She was so quiet that her yell felt so unlike her. "Can you just talk to me and tell me what the hell is wrong?"

"Yes, he was serious." Kol answered.

"How do you even know?"

He walked very close to her, staring deep into her eyes. "Because it's something I would do. And I know my brother." He could hear her heartbeat quicken at what he said. "I never wished for him to know of your existence." He then immediately turned and continued walking.

"Are you ashamed of me or something? Because I'm not a vampire?" Avery questioned. But once again, he ignored her questions. Kol continued walking and she ran after him. She was surprised when they reached the opening of the forest to the lake. With Kol's aggressive walking stride, they made it their quicker than before.

Without waiting, Kol took of his shoes and his t-shirt. He turned to see Avery watching him with her arms crossed. "I'm not swimming until you talk to me." She said quietly but seriously.

He smirked at her stubbornness. "I could always force you."

Even though she was angry with him, Avery couldn't help the smile that slowly formed. She backed away from the water toward the edge of the forest. Kol rushed to her side at vampire speed. "No, Kol! STOP!" Avery shrieked but it was through laughter. He ignored her protests and picked her up, throwing her tiny body over his shoulders. "Kol Mikaelson, you put me down right now. I'm trying to be mad at you!" But Avery couldn't contain her laughter. As soon as they hit deep enough water, she was able to break free. She dove underwater and swam away from him.

When she broke the surface for air, Kol was already looking at her. His smile was gone and all sense of fun had disappeared. His eyes were filled with a sadness that broke Avery's heart.

"He'll use you against me." Kol said faintly. "It will be his punishment if I ever displease him. The daggers were his only trick in the past. But now that he knows, he won't hesitate to harm you in order to control me." He didn't know why he was trying to explain it to her. No matter what, Avery would never understand the unpredictability and rage of Klaus.

Avery's eyes watered a little. There was no way she could have ever anticipated the dynamics of Kol's family. But she did understand why Klaus' appearance had caused such a reaction from Kol. It wasn't about the two of them; it was about her. The feeling of being worried was new to Kol and he didn't know how to deal with. So it turned into anger and frustration.

Avery swam over to Kol. She slowly placed her hands on either side of his face, making him look at her. "He's not going to hurt me." There was no way of her knowing that, but she couldn't stand seeing Kol this way. She had to try to say something…anything to make him feel better.

"You can't possibly fathom my brother." He whispered. This feeling of weakness was new to him. He finally understood how Elijah felt. Not knowing if he could protect Avery from his very own brother was already destroying him. The idea of Klaus had yet to form in his mind before he'd actually returned. Now that it was thrust upon him, he didn't know how to handle it.

"Then you have to tell me, Kol. Keeping it to yourself will only make it harder. I want to help. I hate seeing you this way." She looked around and realized that they were not in the place to have such a discussion. Without waiting for him to respond, she swam to the shore. She didn't realize how far out they had gone. By the time she reached the rocky beach, her breathing was quick and heavy. The t-shirt she had original worn for a cover-up was now heavy with water since Kol threw her in against her will. She took it off and lay on the soft stones, staring up at the blue sky that was filled with clouds one could assign shapes and faces to.

A minute later, she heard Kol slowly walking out of the water. She looked away from the sky to see he was now sitting with his forearms balanced on his knees as he stared out at the lake. Avery sat up and moved close to him. Carefully, she reached for his hand. She intertwined their fingers and held on tightly.

Kol didn't want to tell her about his family. It would just prove to him that he had pushed Avery into his world deeper than he ever thought he would. But here she was, holding onto him, proving that she wanted to be there. Avery was smart. She knew that there were dangers and issues they would run into. Maybe she had just refused to believe it like he had.

He glanced over at her to see that she was waiting patiently. Avery wouldn't force him to talk unless he wanted to. "I'm an original vampire. My brother's and sister…we were the first vampires ever created. We cannot be killed like the others that descend from us. Certain daggers that are dipped in the ash of a particular tree can only defuse us. It's as if we're in a coma. Once it is removed, we awaken. But we can't truly be killed…as of right now." He added the last part, since Ester had almost successfully executed them twice after they believed it impossible.

Avery listened closely. She always knew that there was something different about Kol. Even as a vampire. But she never predicted him to be one of the first vampires. Kol continued to tell her the story of his family and how they came to be what they are. He even explained Klaus and his obsession with the Petrova's to break his personal curse so he could truly be a hybrid. Kol had never told his story to anyone before. It was strange and made him feel vulnerable.

After Kol felt he'd explained his history well, he stopped and watched Avery's final reactions. "I had been daggered until recently…just a few months ago. I was lifeless for almost a century. The last time I was alive was the year 1905." He mindlessly noted. It was the first time he'd told her his age. She'd never asked, but Avery always knew he was older. She could tell by the way to talked and acted.

"What happened for him to do something so awful?" Avery murmured.

Kol sighed. It should have felt like it was a hundred years ago. But his and Klaus' fight still seemed like it happened yesterday. That was the thing about being daggered; it felt like time stopped instead of your heart.

"Nik and I got into a senseless fight. To be honest, I can't even recollect how it started. We were in London. Him and Rebekah were leaving for America the following day. And I was meant to go with them. But I decided I was done being pushed around by my brother. I claimed I was glad the Petrova line ended so he would never become the hybrid he yearned for so much. I told Klaus that he would forever feel the emptiness from the love he never received from our father and mother. And I said even if the ritual were still possible, I would find the moonstone myself and throw it at sea. I promised I would hunt down the doppelgänger and murder her…sending him her head as proof. But Nik was never one to threaten. The next thing I remember was a dagger being shoved into my heart. If it weren't for Elijah, I may very much still be in that coffin."

Avery shuddered at the thought of him still being lifeless inside a cold coffin. Now that he was a part of her life, she couldn't imagine how it would be without him. "Where's Elijah now?" She suddenly wondered.

Kol threw a stone into the lake; it skipped across the surface multiple times. "Elijah is in Chicago." He informed her casually. He had conveniently left out Hayley from all of his stories. Kol knew that he would have to eventually tell Avery about her. But for now, he didn't want to make her worry about something that she would probably misunderstand.

"Why isn't he with you and Rebekah?" Avery speculated.

Kol played with the stones in his hand. "Elijah…is the most human of all. He deserves a better family than us. Though, he would never believe so. Elijah prefers to be…alone and away from here. But he keeps in touch." He looked over to see that his answer satisfied Avery. All of it was true. But once again, Kol never mentioned Hayley. Even though she was the reason Elijah was gone, but also the reason that he consistently kept in contact with his family.

"I believe I've completely ruined our day together with the melancholy stories of my life." Kol laughed. The sun was no longer directly above them. It was now late in the afternoon. They had spent their time talking about his troubled past.

Avery rested her head on Kol's shoulder. "No, you didn't." She reassured him. "Thank you…for telling me everything. I'm glad I know now." She kissed him on the cheek before standing up. "Plus, we still have the rest of the day." Avery stated optimistically. Her feet approached the edge of the water. She slowly waded into the depths. As the water got deeper, Avery floated on her back and stared at the clouds.

Kol watched over her from the shore. After all the horrible things he told her of him and his family, she hadn't changed. None of it mattered to her. She wanted Kol and she was willing to take all of the rest that came along with him. Avery was willing to keep secrets just so they could be together. She'd chosen Kol over everything else. And without knowing it, he'd chosen her the first night he saw her and knew he could never kill her. Something had made him stop, seeing that she would mean so much more to him.

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**Fill a review with all of your lovely thoughts :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**Someone asked me about Hayley. And I just needed to address that, in case anyone else was confused about it. This story is connected and placed after my other story _Forbidden to Remember. _Kol is a significant character in it and all of his history was transfered over to this story. I thought I'd made that clear in my story description but apparently not. So sorry if people don't like that but it's how I imagined and thought of this story. **

**Music**

**Baby Came Home - The Neighbourhood **(Damon)

**The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning - Smashing Pumpkins **(Kol)

**Coming Down - Dum Dum Girls **(Sheriff Phillips)

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"They said Elena's fangs came out of nowhere and her eyes turned dark. I guess Bonnie caught it and she just freaked out. She set the Ferris wheel on fire. Her powers have never been so out of control like that. Bonnie says she doesn't know how…it just happened. She never meant to hurt anyone. Luckily, Stefan and Elena were able to help people off the ride. Everyone got out alive...but some were a little beat up." Matt explained to Avery. They were sitting at the grill and their friends were supposed to meet them there soon.

"At least everyone's alright." Avery muttered. It was now time for him to ask her questions. Matt sat up straight and leaned forward onto the table.

"What happened to you? I tried to find you in the crowd. But everything was so crazy, I lost you in like seconds."

Avery sighed. She didn't want to lie to Matt. They had made an unspoken agreement that only the truth would be exchanged between them. "Everyone was panicking and I was being thrown by the crowd." She paused and looked up at Matt. "It was Kol. He saved me." Avery looked down at her hands, not wanting to deal with Matt's judgmental look.

But he didn't say a word. And when she finally regarded him, she was surprised to find that he was relieved and not bothered. He started getting up from the table. "I'm going to try and steal some fries from the kitchen. Meet me at the pool table in oh five hundred." He instructed theatrically.

Avery raised an eyebrow at him. "You do realize you just told me to meet you at 5 o'clock in the morning, right?" Matt stopped and thought about it for a moment.

"Sorry…didn't realize I was friends with a general." He held up his hands in surrender. But then he laughed and headed toward the kitchen. Avery was about to get up and walk to the pool tables at the other end of the restaurant. But Damon came out of nowhere and took the seat where Matt had just been sitting.

"I don't believe we ever formally met the other night. Damon Salvatore." He said with charm in his eyes. Avery slowly sat back down but said nothing to him. "You're not a very good liar." He informed her. However she stayed silent, thinking if she spoke that it would just prove him right. "I'm so relieved to see that you're still alive after that freak accident at the carnival." Damon said sarcastically. Avery glared at him as he continued. It bothered her how she saw similarities between him and Kol. "Actually, I was looking for you when you got lost in the crowd. Now, it was pretty crazy and I could be imagining things. But I swore I saw a certain original vampire saving you." He tilted his head with a smirk and then took a sip of his drink.

"Is this the part where you tell me to stay away from him because he's dangerous?" Avery said through narrowed eyes. Damon smirked at how she was trying to mock him.

"Oh, so you do talk!" He taunted. "I'm not your father. In fact, I couldn't care less about who you secretly see…date…whatever. But you should get better at lying if you plan on keeping it quiet."  
Avery believed he was done talking and now waited for him to leave her alone. But Damon took another sip of his drink and watched her for a moment. "I don't get what he sees in you." He leaned forward. "You don't look anything like her…you don't even act like her."

She didn't want to ask what he was talking about. But Avery's curiosity got the best of her. "Who are you talking about?" She whispered.

Damon widened his eyes dramatically. "I see he didn't tell you." Avery was getting annoyed. It caused her to overlook that she was giving him the exact reaction he wanted. "Kol was in love with his brother's girl." He said nonchalantly.

"Klaus?" She gasped.

Damon slowly shook his head. "Elijah." He corrected. "Why do you think he isn't with them? It's because he's with Hayley, keeping her away from Kol." He exaggerated the story. He knew Avery was too upset to recognize what Damon was trying to do. He casually said Hayley's name and only stated it once. But there was no way Avery would forget it.

She was no longer mentally present. She tried to put together what Damon was telling her. Then she remembered when Kol told her everything about his family, he had become extremely vague when she asked about Elijah.

Damon slamming his glass on the table brought her back to reality. She felt like she was about to cry. Before Damon got the satisfaction of seeing it, Avery shoved back her chair. As soon as she walked away, Stefan walked over to Damon. He had watched and heard the entire exchange.

"You know, there were other ways that were not so harsh." He said to his older brother. He watched Avery walk across the restaurant and sighed at how upset Damon had clearly made her.

Damon rolled his eyes. "I believe I chose the most effective though." Stefan just shook his head at how guiltless Damon was. But then again, Stefan was always the empathetic one. And when he became a vampire, it only grew bigger.

Avery waited at the pool tables. Matt came sneaking out of the kitchen with a basket full of fries. When their eyes met, he immediately knew something was wrong. Before he could ask her what happened, she started. "Hey, I'm not feeling well all of the sudden. I think I'm gonna head out."

Matt put down the fries. "I'll take you home…"

"No." She immediately interrupted. "I sort of want to walk. And everyone will be here soon. You should stay and hang out." Just as she finished, she heard the entrance door chime as it hit the bells. Avery looked up to see Kol walking in with Klaus. It was horrible timing. She needed to leave before he spotted her.

Before Matt could refuse to let her walk home alone, she was rushing toward the exit that led to the alleyway. She threw open the door and made sure to close it behind her. Just when Avery thought she was in the clear, Kol stood only a few feet away. She was too angry and hurt to be scared at his stealth.

"Are you avoiding me?" Kol asked with smirked as he stepped closer.

Avery didn't want to talk to him. She had no idea how to even bring up this girl Damon exposed. No matter how she went over it in her head, she felt like it would come off as pathetic and insecure. But if she meant nothing to Kol, why hadn't he just told her? She ignored his question and started walking past him.

He grabbed her arm. "What is the matter with you?" Kol inquired.

She ripped her arm out of her grip and walked backward so she could make sure he couldn't surprise her again. "I don't want to talk to you." When Avery was satisfied that he understood, she turned away from him again. But Kol now blocked her path out of the alleyway.

"I'm not letting you leave until you tell me why you are so upset." He said severely. His arms were crossed and his eyebrows rose, waiting for her to give some sort of explanation.

"Why don't you explain to me who Hayley is then?" Avery hissed. She surprised herself with how angry the words came out. There wasn't a time where she felt more betrayed and hurt by someone.

Kol's arms dropped to his side. He was completely stunned. The last thing he expected her to mention was Hayley. His eyes glared and his jaw clenched. "Who told you?" He growled. His first guess was Klaus or Rebekah. His sister had made it very clear that she was no fan of Avery. And Klaus loved lighting a match and watching things burn to their destruction.

"That's really all you have to say?" Her anger was only rising. "After everything you told me about your family… you conveniently left out the part about falling in love with your brother's girlfriend." Unexpectedly, the anger diminished. Now sadness filled its place. "Do you still love her?" She whispered.

"Is there a problem here?" A voice interjected their conversation before Kol could answer Avery's question. But even if it hadn't, he had no idea how to respond to her question. Kol turned to see Sheriff Phillips glaring at him.

"Your gallant white knight has arrived to save you from the beast." Kol muttered menacingly to Avery. He could hear her heart jump. She'd sensed his dangerous attitude toward the sheriff.

"There's not a problem." She quickly said as she walked near him. Her heartbeat sped even quicker when she caught Sheriff Phillips' hand resting readily on top of his gun. That was when she realized that he knew about Kol being a vampire. It made complete sense.

"Are you okay?" Sheriff Phillips' eyes didn't waver from Kol's as he asked Avery. He saw her nod her head in the corner of his eye. She wanted to lead him away before either of them did anything to harm one another. But she was hoping for too much.

Everything happened so fast. Kol raced toward Sheriff Phillips, who was able to fire off two gunshots before impact. Either both of them missed or Kol was resilient. Avery then stared in horror when she saw Kol holding the sheriff off the ground and against the brick wall, only by his neck.

"Last time, I left you alive as a warning. What kind of fool are you to cross me a second time? You are just a pathetic boy, desperately trying to prove himself to his family." Then Kol tightened his grip even further. "I know you've been watching us. But we've been watching you too. I believe I should send them a message by greeting their arrival with your corpse." Kol's eyes had turned their crimson red. His veins showed along with his razor-sharp fangs.

Sheriff Phillips face was turning flushed with the lack of oxygen. But somehow, he still managed to talk through the pressure on his throat. "I think Damon Salvatore gashing my flesh already made the message loud and clear."

Avery didn't hear anything that was being said between the two. But she had enough of watching. If she didn't do anything, someone was going to get hurt. And clearly it would be the sheriff. She ran over to them.

"Kol! Put him down!" She shouted. He turned to her while still maintaining his hold on the sheriff. Avery gasped at the sight of his eyes and fangs. They'd never been unleashed in front of her before.

"Avery, get out of here." Sheriff Phillips managed to tell her.

Meanwhile, Kol opened his mouth to make his kill.

"NO!" She shrieked. Her yell was full of fear. Kol stopped and stared at her through a grimace. It seemed like minutes had passed before he finally dropped Sheriff Phillips. Avery rushed over to him as he could only hold himself up on all fours. He coughed violently.

Avery glared up at Kol. "What the hell is the matter with you?" She yelled at him. But her volume didn't make him blink an eye. Kol was breathing heavily in blind rage. His eyes and fangs had yet to go back to normal. He clenched his fists and gave one last scowl to Sheriff Phillips before disappearing.

Avery let out a sigh of relief. She then turned her attention to Ben. There were bruises already forming around his neck. She wrapped her arms around his waist and helped him stand up. "Is anything broken?" She whispered softly. He shook his head.

"I think I should take you to Meredith." Avery decided.

"No. I'm fine." He indicated calmly.

She shifted awkwardly. "Ben…I'm so sorry. It's because of me. I set him off and it was…it was just my fault." She couldn't even put her words into complete sentences. If Kol had killed him, she didn't know what she would have done.

Ben was smiling now. "I think that's the first time you've ever called me Ben on your own." He laughed.

Avery shook her head. "You almost died because of me and all you can think about is how I called you by your first name."

"Actually, I think you're the only reason I'm alive." Ben claimed. He didn't need to explain what he meant. Avery was slowly realizing that if weren't for her begging, Kol would've killed him. But then something occurred to Ben. "How long have you known?" He just realized that Kol's vampire ways hadn't surprised her.

Avery suddenly got quiet, comprehending that her and Kol's cover had been blown. "We should probably get you home." She muttered quietly as she looked at the ground. Ben just nodded his head. He understood that she didn't want to tell him. And he didn't exactly deserve to know after all his lies. Everyone else, including him had kept all of it a secret from her as long as they could.

"I'll take you home." He said softly. Avery followed him to his car. She realized that she'd get dropped off in a cop car. There was a little relief when she saw that it was at least a truck and not a Ford cruiser.

Avery stopped at looked at the front passenger door and then the back that was behind the metal cage barrier. "So…do I have to sit in the back?" She questioned through a nervous laugh.

Ben shook his head at her ridiculousness. "Just get in the car, Avery."

Their car ride was filled with silence. Ben was curious about how much she knew. And Avery was quiet, too scared to attempt lying. Meredith's house was only a few minute drive. But this time it felt like an hour to her. Eventually, they were sitting in the driveway. Avery hoped Meredith didn't see her being dropped off by the sheriff. It was only cause her aunt to ask questions she didn't want to answer.

Avery threw open the door. But was stopped by Ben's voice. "Hey! Not so fast." She sighed at her failed attempt to make a quick escape. Avery stared out the front windshield, refusing to make contact, as she waited for him to continue.

"Did you invite him inside the house?" He asked carefully. When she didn't answer him, he started worrying. "Avery, did you or did you not let him in?" The escalation in his voice made her jump and look at him finally.

"He won't hurt me." She whispered.

"I can't believe you invited him in. You saw how dangerous he was! Don't be an idiot, Avery. This is real life, not some fairytale. He's a vampire and you're his source of sustenance. I know you're smarter than this." Ben was honestly angry and aggravated at how reckless she was being.

Avery had planned on playing the quiet card, letting him lecture her and she wouldn't say a thing in return. But his accusations were setting something off inside her. Perhaps it was because of everything she'd already learned tonight.

"Oh, really? You know I'm smarter than this?" She imitated. "You don't know me. I haven't been in town for even a month. And you think you've got me all figured out." Avery threw open the door and turned to face him as soon as she stepped out. "Next time you think you know what's best for me, keep it to yourself. I'm sick of all these fucking secrets. And I'm sick of everyone telling me what to do and what not to do. So, really save it!" She slammed the door and marched up to the front door.

Avery could have justified Kol's character to him. But no one deserved to know the other person he could be when he was with her. And after tonight, she was too angry with Kol to even defend him to Sheriff Phillips. She quietly shut the front door behind her, realizing that she didn't want to wake Meredith. That would just add another problem that she didn't want to deal with. Avery wiped her cheek with the back of her hand to see that a few tears had fallen from her frustration.

Defeated and emotionally exhausted, she slowly walked to her room. As she lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling, Avery hoped Kol had no intention of repeating his late night visits. She felt like a fool that she honestly believed things between them would be so simple. Relationships were rarely between just two people. There were always feelings toward others that were left unsaid. Avery felt like an idiot that she believed she had won Kol's heart so easily.

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**Thoughts? Concerns? Wishes? Anything...? lol**


	16. Chapter 16

**I must apologize for how this chapter took longer than usual to post. I was out of town yesterday. So sorry. And also, thank you for the reviews. I got some mixed opinions but those always make me think. :)**

**Music**

**Hawaii - Meiko **(Meredith/Avery)

**Greyhound - Swedish House Mafia **(Party)

**Passenger Seat - Death Cab for Cutie **(Kol)

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Meredith walked into the living room to see Avery lounging on the couch, in sweatpants, with the television on some mindless reality show. Her arm hung off the side, resting lifelessly on the floor. There was cold pizza sitting on the coffee table, half eaten. Meredith walked over and sat on the little space left on the couch.

"You doing okay there, kiddo?" She asked her niece.

Avery's eyes didn't move away from the screen. "Superb."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Meredith asked slowly. Her sarcastic remark made it clear that she was anything but superb.

Avery sighed, still watching the television. "I can't and don't really want to."

Meredith slowly nodded her head. "Actually you can. But I understand if you don't want to." She grabbed some of the pizza that was on the coffee table. "If it makes you feel any better, I bet my night was worse than yours."

"Oh yeah?" Avery was barely curious.

"I lost an 11 year old boy last night." Meredith stated.

Avery's attention was caught and she finally looked at her aunt for a minute. "You're right. Your night _was_ worse." Perspective was now put into view. "I'm sorry. But I'm sure you did everything you possibly could to help." She reassured her.

Meredith smiled a little at her. Everyone thought she took Avery in because her niece needed someone to look after her. But Meredith needed her just as much. They needed each other because both of them were lonely in different ways.

Avery's cell phone vibrated on the coffee table. She grabbed it and barely looked at the text before tossing it back on the table.

"Who was that?" Meredith asked casually.

"Matt. He wants to know if I'd like to go to some house party tonight." Avery didn't sound very interested in the idea. She was not in the partying mood.

"You should go!" Meredith said enthusiastically. "You could use a little cheering up. A party could do you some good." She laughed.

Avery looked at her with a smile. "Are you really telling me to go to a party?"

"Like we both agreed, I'm not your mom. You're a teenager, Avery. You're supposed to go to parties. Go hang out with your friends!" She noticed her words weren't changing Avery's attitude. "Actually, I'm telling you to go to this party. You're on strict orders. Now you have to go."

Avery started laughing then. "Ok, ok, I'll go. Are you happy?" She picked her cell phone back up and text Matt to tell him he'd go with her.

* * *

Avery quickly walked to the door to see Matt and Bonnie were there. She immediately noticed that, compared to Bonnie, she was underdressed.

"You ready to go?" Matt asked as he gestured her to his truck.

"Wait, wait, wait." Bonnie interrupted. "We're doing Avery's real introduction to Mystic Falls. And we need to have an outfit that knows how to make an entrance." She looked Avery's outfit up and down. She was wearing simple black jeans and a beat up grey t-shirt. It was a dark and edgy outfit. But it was also too simple to meet the standards of Bonnie.

"Come on. She looks fine. Let's go already." Matt complained. But Bonnie already shook her head at his protests. She grabbed Avery's hand and dragged her toward her room as she told Matt he could wait in the living room. She shuffled through the closet, her eyes flashing over every piece of clothing. A few minutes later, Bonnie had picked out an outfit for Avery.

"Isn't that a little too much?" She asked Bonnie nervously.

"Put it on." In her hands was a pair of high waisted, black leather, shorts. She then found a sheer and crème button up shirt. Avery jumped when she threw a pair of black platform heels at her. "I'm going to do your hair and make-up real quick." Bonnie added casually. Avery sighed and just shrugged her shoulders. She felt like a life-size Barbie doll. And Bonnie seemed to be enjoying herself, so she just went along with it. This was probably what all of her friends did together before their group was completely torn apart.

Twenty minutes later, Avery was all done up. Bonnie smiled, content with her work. Avery looked in the mirror. The outfit was something she would never put together on her own. She was almost taller than Bonnie with her platform heels on, giving her average height a small boost. Her make-up was dark and edgy. Bonnie had winged her eyeliner, framing her blue eyes even more than usual. And Avery's long black hair was loosely curled.

"What I would do for those eyes." Bonnie commented with a smile.

Avery just smiled shyly. "Thanks for this, Bonnie." She said genuinely. "Come on. Let's not make poor Matt wait any longer." She laughed a little at how bored he must be waiting in her living room. Bonnie flung open the door. Matt, who may or may not have fallen asleep, shot up right on the couch.

When Avery stepped nervously into the living room, Matt looked impressed. He did a long whistle and laughed. "Good luck keeping the boys away." He joked.

Avery rolled her eyes at him. "Can we go already?" She begged. Matt and Bonnie just laughed at how embarrassed they were clearly making her.

But after they had their fun, Matt nodded. "Let's go."

Avery got a lot of looks she wasn't used to when they walked into the crowded party. Someone's parents were away for the weekend. They took the opportunity to throw an out of control party. There were so many teenagers, that Avery wondered where they had all come from. Every couple of faces seemed somewhat familiar from going to the grill so much. But other than that, she was surrounded my strangers.

She immediately wished she hadn't come. Her mind was really on Kol and how she wanted to talk to him so much but at the same time she hated him. Meanwhile, she had to put on a smile and act like she was having fun. Matt hadn't left her side since they got there. He was going to make sure nothing happened like the last time he brought her to a party. Avery couldn't help but notice how brotherly Matt had been toward her ever since she came to town. It was appreciated, but right now it was annoying.

Avery spotted a full bottle of tequila calling her name. She felt like being reckless. Her friends and aunt wanted her to go the party, fine. But she would do what she wanted now that she was there. If she was going to let loose, she needed some help. Avery looked around and then snatched the bottle before anyone claimed it. She immediately took a few shots.

"Easy there, tiger." Matt muttered to her. She immediately rolled her eyes. He had a beer in his hand but he wasn't taking unevenly paced shots.

"What? It's a party, isn't it?" Avery challenged. Matt took her in for a moment. He may have become protective over her but he wasn't actually her brother. She was her own person and could do what she wanted.

He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "You know what? Do what you want, Avery." His hands were held up into the air to prove that he was done trying to reason with her. Avery sighed in relief at his surrender and took another sip from the bottle.

An hour later, Avery had drunk almost half of the bottle of tequila by herself She would have kept going if it weren't for Matt ripping it from her hands. Avery now stumbled around the house. Eventually, she made her way to the main area. The house's living room had been made into a dance floor. All the furniture had been pushed against the walls, exposing the wooden floors. Dance music was blasting so loud that she could feel the base against her chest. All the lights were turned off. In their place, there were black lights and laser lights rotating out of control.

Avery started feeling dizzy and hot. But she kept reassuring herself that she was fine. The flashing black lights and spinning lasers were definitely not helping. But something other than the lights caught her attention. There was a flash of light for half a second that made it possible to catch him. Avery swore that she saw Kol on the far side of the room. He had been walking through the massive crowd, his face only visible between two people as he passed. Avery shook her head and squinted, trying to focus. She looked around the spot she believed she'd seen him.

"Looking for someone?" A British accent said behind her. Avery spun around. But her movements were too quick for the intoxication. Her hand reached up to her head as if it would make it better. Kol was standing in front of her. His usual amusement and playfulness was missing. His hands were in the pockets of his black jeans. Avery questioned why he was always dressed like James Dean.

"What, are you stalking me?" Avery asked. She tried her hardest not to slur her words or show any indication that she was very drunk. But it was pointless. Kol could smell the tequila on her lips and hear the slowness in her pulse from the alcohol. "You're drunk." He stated. If there weren't problems between the two of them, he would have found it humorous. But right now, it was just adding difficulty.

"I'm not drunk." She defended. But she gasped when Kol grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the nearest exit. His forcefulness added with her lack of coordination from her drunkenness caused her to stumble through the mass amounts of people. She didn't understand how he knew where they were going through all the smoke and darkness of the party. But a minute later, they were outside in the cool summer air.

"Let go of me!" Avery demanded as she ripped her arm away.

Kol stepped close to her. "Good. I have your attention."

She stumbled backwards a few steps. "Stop following me. Stop showing up randomly. I don't want to talk to you. So leave me alone." Avery tried to walk back inside, but she tripped over the first step. Kol grabbed her arm, steadying her. She tried to shove him off her, but his grip was too strong.

"I'm taking you home." Kol declared.

"No, you are not." Avery defied. She hated the strange protectiveness and responsibility he was showing toward her. Then she noticed the music had stopped. A few people were coming out of the door. She recognized one of the faces.

"There you are! Avery, the cops just busted the party. We have to go." Matt urged. Then he noticed Kol standing there. But he was already preoccupied with the trouble both of them could get into. All he had to drink was one beer since he was driving; he was more worried about her.

"I already planned on doing so." Kol said darkly. Matt glared at him when he saw how visibly uninterested Avery was about the plan. "Leave." Kol added. But Matt just looked at Avery to see if she wanted him to stay or go. Bonnie was now at his side, waiting anxiously so they could leave before the cops caught them.

"I'll be fine, Matt. If I don't go with him, he'll probably try to kill you just like he tried to kill Sheriff Phillips. Isn't that right, Kol?" Avery slurred.

Matt just shook is head at the absurdity of the situation. "Fine." He grabbed Bonnie and they hurried away from the house to his truck. They had cut into a forest to get to Matt's car that was strategically parked away from the house. Avery watched them rush away into the darkness.

Kol grabbed Avery, leading her in a slightly different direction than Matt and Bonnie had gone. It was obvious he was using all of his concentration to not harm her as they treaded through the trees.

"Are you expecting me to apologize to you?" Kol asked her evenly as he sped through Mystic Falls. But Avery just looked at the surroundings that blurred pass her by. She didn't want to do this, not right now. She was drunk and he was apparently annoyed by it. But the awkwardness and stress of the situation was painfully clearing her head into soberness.

They were parked in her driveway now. At the moment, Kol didn't really care if Meredith saw him dropping Avery off. "I met Hayley not that long after I was awoken by Elijah." He stated slowly, looking straight ahead as he spoke. There was no right way to start the now unavoidable conversation.

Avery inhaled deeply and looked at him. But he continued to look through the windshield. "Kol…you've lived for over a thousand years. It would be ignorant of me to think you never to have loved anyone. That wouldn't be fair to expect. But I asked you about Elijah…why he wasn't with the rest of your family. And you blatantly lied to me. He's not with you because he's with Hayley. And the reason they're not with you is because you might still love her." The sigh she let out shook a little. "If you don't love her still, wouldn't you have just told me about her?"

Kol finally looked at her for the first time since they'd left the party. "It's a lot more complicated than that."

Avery glared at him. "It always is. But I would understand if you just told me." The car was filled with silence. She thought he would never explain it. Her hand reached for the door handle to get out of the car. But Kol stopped her.

"I am accustomed to attaining all I wish." He said it so confidently. But his tone instantly changed as he continued. "Hayley did and always will love Elijah. My stubbornness drove me to take the challenge. She was the first person who truly cared about me, other than my family. But I was only a friend in her eyes."

"Did you love her?" Avery asked after a moment.

"Yes." Kol immediately answered.

"Do you still?" She couldn't look him in the eye as she asked.

"No." He responded just as quickly. It made her gaze shoot up to him. But he had already turned away. Except their eye contact wasn't necessary for both of them to know that he was telling the truth.

"Why?" Avery asked him, unsure if she would like the answer. But she needed to know anyway. Kol turned to look at her. His eyes were staring deep into hers. She wanted to look away but she wouldn't allow it. Avery was slowly starting to understand that Kol couldn't always say what he desired. Whether out of pride or lack of practice was unknown. But she learned that in order to know what he never said, she had to read him in a way no one else could.

"I believe you already know why." Kol murmured. Although he gave her an answer, Avery was concentrating on what his eyes were saying. That was how she knew what he meant. She was the reason he no longer loved Hayley. It didn't mean he loved Avery in her place. Not yet. But it was the idea of loving her that made him give up on the tortures of unrequited and almost forbidden love. Hayley and Kol weren't meant to be together, they never were. He found out the hard way. But now he realized it was a lesson that led to something more precious.

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**Review? Perhaps? Maybe? YES.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks for the reviews guys. Everyone is apparently really wanting a sex scene. Which I found very entertaining lol. I should just keeping pushing it further back to drive all of you insane. JUST KIDDING. that would be mean...**

**Music**

**Bella - Angus and Julia Stone **(Avery/Kol)

**The Carnival of Animals Aquarium - Camille Saint-Saëns **(Car)

**The Sea Is Calling - The Temper Trap **(The Grill)

* * *

"Keep your dominant eye open and make sure your wrist motion doesn't curve." Kol's chest was pressed against Avery's back. His mouth was touching her ear as he whispered the instructions. She couldn't help but smile at the shivers that followed the hot air passing across her skin. Avery tossed the dart like she was instructed. But it hit just below the target, scratching the wood panel wall. She laughed and shook her head at how awful she was at the game.

"And _that_ is exactly why I stuck to swimming, a sport that doesn't require any hand-eye coordination." She stated, turning around so she could face Kol. They were in Kol's bedroom at the Mikaelson mansion. Even though Kol didn't like bringing Avery around his siblings, it was one of the few places they didn't have to hide.

"Perhaps, you simply aren't focused enough." He suggested.

Avery playfully glared at him and walked over to the board. She grabbed all of the darts and handed them to Kol. "Alright, then. Let's see you try." She dared. Kol responded with his smirk and took the darts from her hand, accepting the challenge.

He threw the first two so quickly his hand was a blur. Both of them hit the bull's-eye, scoring into the board right next to each other. Then he looked at her, away from the board, throwing the next one. It also landed dead center. Avery rolled her eyes, refusing to appear impressed. Just as Kol was about to throw the last dart, she gently grabbed the collar of his shirt and placed a kiss on his lips. It didn't matter if he could throw all the darts accurately, she'd found a different way to win.

But Kol instantly adjusted to the surprise. His thumb and finger held the tip of her chin, stopping her from being able to pull away. Avery's hands were underneath his t-shirt, feeling the curves of his muscular back. Her skin always felt so warm against his. Kol slowly walked forward, moving them closer to his bed. Avery carefully took off the black zip-up sweatshirt he was wearing. Kol pulled away slightly, staring into her eyes. And before she could ask why he'd stopped, he walked away from her, moving to the other side of the room.

It had been a week since Avery and Kol had finally finished fighting. When she'd told him that Damon was the one to inform her about Kol's romantic history with Hayley, Kol's face had gone dark. It was obvious what Damon had tried to do. Kol would have killed him right then. But Avery immediately stopped him from doing anything rash. She slowly understood that there was a history between the two vampires that was anything but positive. Avery made a note for the future to never bring Damon up in conversation again.

Things almost felt normal between Avery and Kol. Well, as normal as things can be when a century year old vampire and human date in secret. But Avery was bothered by something else now. Whenever they seemed to kiss or be amorous in any way, Kol always seemed to hold back. Avery began to wonder if he didn't see her in any other way than some kind of toy to play with.

"Kol?" She murmured, still sitting on the edge of the bed. He turned around casually. He didn't expect her to ask anything serious. "I feel like you're holding back or something." She paused, realizing she didn't know how to say what she wanted. "Ugh…I can't believe I'm even saying this." Avery hid her face in her hands, embarrassed at how she felt the need to talk about it. Kol watched her closely and then slowly understood what she was talking about. He tilted his head and smiled at how worried she was about it, finding it oddly cute.

In a fast motion, Kol was sitting next to Avery on the bed. "You think I'm so innocent, don't you?" Avery asked as she smiled awkwardly. "It all is a bit intimidating with you though. You're a thousand years old and probably slept with…actually, I'd rather not think about that number." She was starting to get lost in her own thoughts.

"Avery." Kol got her attention. "You're correct."

"And your lack of modesty isn't making me feel any better." She laughed nervously. Her fingers ran through her hair, causing a sort of veil to form that hid her face from him.

Kol was staring straight ahead, remembering how he used to act toward woman before he was daggered. "But…it was always empty and lustful. You would be fool to believe that I want the same thing between us. It all used to be a twisted game to me: seduction and lies." Then he turned his gaze to her. "I will not allow myself to be that way with you."

Avery just nodded. She understood what he meant. Actually loving someone was new to him. It didn't matter that he was a thousand years old, there were still things that he'd never experienced before. Feeling something was strange to Kol.

"Who was it?" Kol's question brought her out of her thoughts. He wasn't jealous, only simply curious. But Avery had been right when she pointed how that he assumed she was truly innocent. Maybe it was just Kol's ignorance to modern norms. Or perhaps, it was because he wanted it to be true.

"Umm…He was no one special." Avery said uncomfortably. But she looked over to see that her efforts to brush off the subject only made him more intrigued. She inhaled deeply. "I thought I loved him and that he loved me. But he just kept me around for his own liking. I was a complete idiot for believing all the things he said just to get what he wanted. I'm just embarrassed that I fell for it." Avery sighed before finishing the story as quickly as possible. "Anyways, right after everything happened, he cheated on me and the stupid part of me was surprised by it."

Kol was silent. The scenario sounded so familiar. Whispering sweet words into a woman's ear, telling her exactly what she wanted to hear. But they were all lies. In the past, nothing had been too far to get what Kol wanted. He used to be the person on the other end of it. But he didn't believe he could ever do such a thing to Avery. Even if he met her long ago, Kol would still have caught the abiding light inside her. He would have known she would be the one to save him.

Now Kol's mood had darkened, thinking of anyone just using Avery and tossing her to the side after. It brought out the most dangerous part of him. "That won't happen again." He said deeply. Avery still shook her head at how stupid she still felt about the whole thing. But she realized it didn't matter anymore. Kol wouldn't do that to her.

Suddenly, Kol's bedroom door burst open. Rebekah stood in the doorway, with her arms crossed. "Ever heard of knocking?" Kol growled. She rolled her eyes and smiled, happy that she could annoy her brother so effortlessly.

"I'm bored." Rebekah said as she lounged on one of his leather loveseats in the corner of the room. Avery sometimes found her entertaining. But it was only when Rebekah wasn't acting as if she would rip out her throat.

"I really don't care." Kol stated harshly. "Get out." Rebekah just beamed, refusing to move from her seat. "Where is Nik? Isn't he your usual source of entertainment? Go whine to him." He mocked.

"I have no bloody idea. Obviously, I wouldn't be lowering myself to your company if I knew where he was." Rebekah snapped.

Avery stood up. "I should probably get going. I promised Meredith I'd be home for dinner." She looked into Kol's eyes to see that he was not keen on the plan of her leaving. He glared at his sister before standing up from the bed too.

"Did I interrupt something?" Rebekah asked as she sat up a little. "I sure hope so." She was looking at her nails.

"Goodbye Rebekah." Avery said politely. In return, the vampire waved her fingers with a condescending look.

* * *

There was classical music playing in the car. Kol didn't seem to be very fond of any other genres. But Avery quite enjoyed the change from all the noise people called music nowadays. She sometimes forgot that he'd missed out on the rapid cultural changes from the last hundred years. She believed it was good that he found certain links to make him comfortable, knowing that not everything had completely changed. He was from the past, awoken in a time no one could ever prepare or imagine. It was more tragic than Avery thought most people realized.

"Why does your sister hate me so much?" Avery asked Kol after a few minutes of driving. She honestly wondered about his sister's deal. No matter who it was, she had a problem with them. The only thing she apparently cared about was her family, but she didn't show it in ways most do.

"Rebekah is self-centered…" Kol began.

"Like you?" Avery countered with a laugh.

Surprisingly, he only smiled at her offense. "She is accustomed to being the only woman consistently around our family. Rebekah begins to feel threatened if she believes others are taking the attention away. It wasn't until Hayley that it changed. You will have to prove yourself before she becomes accepting."

"Well, how the hell am I supposed to prove myself?" Avery asked, somewhat annoyed. When she first met Rebekah, she hadn't really cared if the vampire liked her or not. But the more serious her and Kol became, the more it bothered Avery that his sister didn't support her.

"Why do you care? Rebekah, to say the least, is a brat. I only tolerate her because she is my sister. Don't burden yourself with caring if she approves of you." He shook his head, truly not understanding why she cared.

"Kol, she's your family. As much as you try to hide it, they're important to you. So…it kind of matters if they like me or not." Avery turned to look out the window. Now she was embarrassed at how obvious it was that she was bothered by their disapproval. They didn't even seem to acknowledge her presence in Kol's life.

Kol smiled, knowing she couldn't see it. He found it rather adorable that she wanted to be liked by his siblings. And now he understood where she was coming from. But his family was more complex than she could ever comprehend. Even if Klaus liked her for some odd reason, which was rare since she was human, he would never show any readable signs of it. Rebekah could be pushed to appreciate Avery, especially since she was one of the few people in town she had neither troubled nor tried to kill. But Kol's smile gradually faded when his thoughts wandered to his last sibling. If Elijah were ever to meet Avery, Kol knew he would like her. Because Elijah would see that she made Kol happy in a way no one else ever had. And he wouldn't care about anything else. The eldest Mikaelson always had a soft spot for humans, though he constantly tried to hide it. He was fascinated by what short lives they had to breathe and how everything seemed so dire because of time. It was so different than vampires. Kol sighed, knowing that at least he could get his eldest brother's approval. Then he thought of Hayley. She would do the same as Elijah, which only proved more that they were meant for one another. But she would also show his other siblings that there was more to see.

They were now parked far enough away from Avery's house that Meredith wouldn't be able to catch Kol. Avery sighed, not wanting to get out of the car. Her favorite part of any day was when she spent it with him. But she felt too happy. She then felt guilty because of her family's death. Both Meredith and Kol had convinced her that happiness was nothing to feel guilty about because it's what they would want. But Avery kept waiting for something to ruin the sanctuary of happiness she had found. Things between her and Kol were too good. And she hated herself for expecting it to be ripped away instead of simply savoring it.

"I am the only reason Nik and Rebekah have grown to like you." Kol started before she could get out of the car. "They believe it will last because they still see me as cold-blooded and reckless. It's not because of you."

Avery just looked at him for a moment. She found it sad that even his family believed such a thing about him. It seemed that she was the only one that saw there was so much more to him than the rough surface he depicted. She kissed him on the lips and extended it because she wasn't ready to leave him yet.

"If your aunt is waiting for you, I suggest you leave before I keep you to myself." Kol said aggressively after he barely pulled away from her lips. He could feel her laughter against his mouth.

"Bye." Avery kissed him on the cheek before she opened the door and quickly walked toward her house, looking around to see if anyone had caught them.

* * *

Later into the night, Rebekah had convinced both of her brothers to go to the grill with her. She had enough of sitting in the giant mansion by herself. Kol finally gave up on her pleas, deciding he'd rather just go than have to listen to his sister's begging any longer. And Klaus, though he never would admit it, savored any time spent with his family.

Klaus and Rebekah grabbed a high bar table in the corner. Kol, who was already getting bored, volunteered to get drinks. He waited patiently for the order when he felt someone step up and sit beside him.

"I recommend you leave now if you don't wish for your heart to be in my hand within seconds." Kol snarled in a low voice so no human could catch it.

"I assume my plan worked a little. I'm glad I was able to put some sense into that girl." Damon said casually. He was never good at taking threats. Many people saw similarities in Kol and Damon. But that was the difference between them: Kol knew how to keep his threats and recognized false ones.

There was an ice pick sitting on the other side of the bar. Kol snatched it so quickly that no humans around could catch it, not even the bartender who was helping another customer. Kol stabbed it into Damon's stomach. With the angle they were at, Kol was able to hide any sign of blood to the general public. To any onlookers, it looked as if they were shaking each other's hands and embracing.

"Before I part ways with you, Damon Salvatore, I will either teach you respect or I will kill you in front of this entire town." Kol murmured his words so calmly into his victim's ear that it came off as disturbing. Meanwhile, Damon was trying to keep in his growls from the pain as Kol continued to twist the pick in his stomach.

"He didn't come over here to start trouble." A voice said calmly to Kol. He glared when he noticed Stefan standing a few feet away. Kol finally let Damon go, who immediately ripped out the pick and dropped it on the floor. He was prepared to give the younger Salvatore the same treatment, but usually Stefan was the more sensible one.

"Well, I assume he didn't approach my brother to share a drink, sweetheart." Klaus said to Stefan. Him and Rebekah had immediately noticed Kol's stunt and came over to investigate further.

"We need to talk to you. But not here." Stefan regarded all the originals as they spoke. He looked around to make sure they still hadn't brought attention to themselves. But it was late and most of the humans were too drunk to care what was happening around them.

"We have no business with you." Kol grumbled. But he looked at his siblings to see that Klaus seemed to be considering it and Rebekah would always side him. Stefan caught that the hybrid was considering his offer.

"Boarding house. Midnight." Stefan stated before grabbing Damon and dragging him toward the nearest exit.

"Why the bloody hell should we care what they have to say?" Kol immediately asked his brother once the Salvatore brothers had gone. But Klaus didn't feel like he needed to justify his actions. He glared at his younger brother before walking back toward their table. Rebekah watched Kol for a moment before following Klaus.

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**Hmmmmm...I think you should review ;P**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone that reviewed! You guys are awesome.**

**Music**

**Night - Bill Callahan **(Dinner)

**Without You - White Blush **(Boarding House)

**Closest I Get - Katie Herzig **(Sick)

**Lullaby - Dixie Chicks **(Meredith)

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_**Earlier in the Night**_

"So who dropped you off?" Meredith asked as they sat down at the dinner table. It was the first time Avery had seen the small table in the kitchen completely free of any papers. Instead there were placemats and silverware set on the wooden surface. Meredith was trying to be more domestic and responsible for Avery. She'd cleaned the house all-day and cooked as a surprise for her. Avery appreciated it, but she also didn't want her presence to change or burden her aunt.

"Matt did." Avery quickly replied before taking a sip of water.

Meredith watched her for a moment. Then she slowly put her silverware down and sat back against her chair. Avery caught the change in posture and looked at her aunt confoundedly.

"Alright, I can't play this oblivious part any longer." Meredith said.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Instead of lying, Avery always liked to act stupid instead. It usually worked out better for her.

"Avery." Meredith said sternly. "I know there's something going on…with you and…Kol." Just saying his name was hard for her. Avery swore her heart stopped beating for a moment. Her jaw froze mid-bite. "At first, I just thought I was being paranoid. But this is a small town. You can't really hide a lot here." Meredith stated.

"I know he's a vampire." Avery spit out. She didn't know what had come over her. It just slipped. And from the look on Meredith's face, she didn't know that Avery was aware of vampire's existence.

"What?" That was all Meredith was able to say.

"I get it. I get why you hid everything and why you wanted to keep me away from him. You were protecting me. But he's not going to hurt me, Meredith. And I'm sorry I kept it all a secret. But I didn't think you'd understand." Avery looked down.

"Avery…" But Meredith stopped and tried to gather her thoughts. "I want to tell you to stay away from him. But there's something else." She waited for Avery to look her in the eye before continuing. "You just seem so happy now. That's what gave you away. And I honestly don't think I could have ever done that for you myself. You really care about him, don't you?" She asked her carefully.

"Yeah." Avery whispered.

"I'm not going to tell you to stop seeing him. There's clearly something going on between you two that I can't understand. Who am I to judge something I am not a part of?" Meredith stopped for a moment and breathed in. She reached across the table and held her hand. "Just promise me you'll be careful. This doesn't mean I trust him. He's still a vampire."

Avery smiled shyly as her eyes watered a little. She never expected Meredith to change her mind, her opinions, everything that caused her to disagree about Kol so much. Avery had dreaded this potential moment. And she was so grateful that her aunt was only glad to see her happy. "I'll be careful." She affirmed.

Meredith nodded. "But you should still keep it quiet." She added quickly before going back to eating the dinner in front of her.

"Why?" She questioned. The most important person to keep it from was her aunt. Now that she knew, what was the point in keeping it a secret?

"Avery, there are some secrets in Mystic Falls that are better left alone. Bad things happen here. And I don't want you to get hurt because of your association with Kol. People will use you to get to him if they find out."

"Like who?" Avery knew Meredith wanted to leave it at that but she didn't know who would do that. It didn't seem like she was talking about Klaus. So who else would use her to get to Kol?

"I just…I can't tell you." She said after a moment's hesitation. Meredith wanted to tell Avery everything. But there were already too many risks. She was still part of Founding Families Council by some miracle. But she was the outcast of the council and barely trusted after Alaric exposed her methods. If she said anything to Avery, it could just put both of them in more danger.

"Thanks, Meredith. For trusting me about Kol." Avery whispered after they ate in silence for a minute or two. Being able to actually talk about it with her was such a weight off her shoulders. There were always secrets that needed to be kept, but it also felt remarkable when you had just one less to keep.

* * *

Damon, Stefan, and Elena were sitting in the living room of the Salvatore boarding house. Elena doubted that any of the originals would show up. They felt above the rest of the vampire population. And they usually only lowered themselves to their company if they wanted something.

"They'll be here." Stefan defended.

Just as Damon was about to protest, the front door was thrown open. All three of them looked too late to catch anyone. But the three originals now stood next to the blazing fireplace. Elena still couldn't help but feel uneasy around them. Klaus had already killed her and tried multiple times to do it again. Kol slammed her head against a headboard. And Rebekah was the reason she was a vampire. It was almost strange not having them trying to murder her.

"I have a very short patience." Klaus gave them his cue to start with his arms crossed. Rebekah sat in the chair close to the fire. Kol, who made it obvious he wasn't happy to be there, leaned against the wall in the corner.

"Sheriff Phillips' family arrived last night." Stefan informed the group.

"We have been around for a century. Do you know how many times vampire slayers have threatened us? They all claimed to be the ones who would finally destroy us. Yet, we are still here." Klaus informed them. There were always claims of people knowing how to end his family. His mother linking them and then making Alaric was the closest anyone had ever got.

"Your overconfidence isn't comforting." Damon chided in. "They're waiting for something. And they seem self-assured that they can kill you guys."

Kol finally decided to intervene. "And how are you so sure that you know what they are planning?" He challenged.

"I guess you could say we have somewhat of a spy." Damon explained vaguely.

"You're spy is Meredith." Klaus rolled his eyes, finding it ridiculous that they honestly believed it was some kind of secret. "She is already in trouble from Alaric revealing her. They are now suspicious of her. How do you know they aren't planting false information in front of her?" He tested. Kol smirked at the misgiving. Elena sat up straighter in her seat. But the Salvatore brothers remained calm. They already knew it was a possibility.

"Well, they aren't completely stupid. Meredith said they don't talk about their plans in front of her. But they need a doctor on their side. And she's picked up enough to know that they aren't completely helpless. They seem to know of some way to kill an original." Stefan explained.

"Fine." Klaus acknowledged. "We'll kill them all tonight and be done with it."

"No." Elena interrupted. "We aren't killing anyone."

"Well, love, that isn't your call to make. You invited us tonight, fully aware that it would be our solution. Why else would we be here?" Klaus smirked.

"We are offering a truce." Stefan stated.

"My family needs no alliance. Even if we did, what makes you think it would be with you? Every one of your ghastly plans falls apart. All of you are pathetically predictable." Kol laughed at how serious they were.

"I told you this was a waste of time." Damon sighed melodramatically before taking a sip of the scotch in his hand. Elena glared at him for making it worse.

"We now have a common enemy. And you know we would be stronger together than apart. We'd also appreciate if you didn't get yourselves killed. All of us would rather not die for real this time." Stefan looked at Klaus as he spoke. Everyone was now aware that their line was connected to the hybrid. "As for the rest of you, there is no way we will be able to figure out who Elena descended from. Meredith used the blood from a rogue vampire to save her."

"Once again, it is all about saving Elena." Kol laughed bleakly. His comment brought out a smirk in Rebekah. She enjoyed any insult aimed toward Elena.

"Just take it or leave it." Elena finally spoke. She stood up from the couch and addressed all of the originals. "The only reason all of this is happening is because you came to town. The founding family never would have found out about Caroline and Tyler if it hadn't been for all of you and Ester. There are other ways to make this family leave. And if we do it right, nobody else will come to try to do the same. We can't protect ourselves from them if we're too busy fighting amongst each other."

Klaus watched Elena carefully, slightly impressed with her boldness. "I refuse to call it an alliance. Just be thankful we've allowed all of you to live. But I can't make any promises that I will do the same for this family."

Kol removed himself off the wall. "You can't be serious, Nik. We don't need them. We already know more about this family than they do with their so-called 'spy'." He wanted nothing to do with the young vampires. But he saw why Klaus agreed to it. His brother saw potential friendship, mostly for Stefan. But he also saw entertainment in the alleged vampire hunters. None of the originals took them seriously. But the Salvatores, Elena, and her friends saw them as a true threat.

"This fight is vampire against human. It is a momentary hiatus between our personal hostility." Klaus said to his brother without breaking eye contact with Stefan. But even Rebekah seemed confused at why her brother was agreeing to their terms. She didn't see the point, but perhaps Klaus knew something that she didn't. Stefan nodded in agreement. It was all that was needed. The originals disappeared the next second, leaving the Salvatores and Elena alone once again.

* * *

_I can't hang out today like we planned._ Kol read the text message as he poured himself a glass of whiskey. Avery and him hadn't seen each other for a few days. Ever since his family's agreement with the Salvatores, he wanted to keep a low profile. If these so called vampire hunters were planning something, he didn't want Avery to get involved in any way. His family interpreted it as him losing interest. And Kol let them believe so; it would only help. His fingers browsed over the touch screen. _And why is that?_ He replied to her.

_I'm sick. Meredith even took my car keys away before leaving for work. So I couldn't leave if I wanted to. Oh yeah. I got a car yesterday. _Avery text him seconds after his reply. Kol's brow wrinkled when he read the word 'sick'. The last time he was awake, sickness was never a good thing. Even the common cold was dangerous to people. Many times an illness led to death. Sometimes the most harmless sickness used to lead to severe diseases. But he had to remember that it was before there were such advancements in medicine. Kol grabbed his car keys.

Avery's body couldn't decide if it was freezing or boiling. Even though she couldn't stop shaking, her skin was glistening with sweat. Her throat felt like it was made out of sandpaper. There was an invisible pressure surrounding her head, causing a headache to pound. And every few minutes, she went into a coughing fit of some sort. Overall, Avery couldn't remember a time she felt so sick.

Suddenly, she caught something in the corner of her eye that hadn't been there a moment ago. She turned to see Kol leaning in the doorway. He was in his usual clothes made up of dark and fitted jeans, a t-shirt, and leather boots.

"What are you doing here?" Avery asked. "I'm going to get you sick."

Kol smirked at how she was worried about him even when she was clearly miserable. "Vampires can't get sick, darling. But thank you for the concern."

Avery whimpered as she pulled the covers over her head, hiding from him. "Go away. I'm sick and gross and not presentable in any way." Kol was amused by her fusses. Although, she was quiet and only spoke when she felt it necessary, Avery was also quirky in a way most were unable to see. It was her surprising bursts of eccentricity that Kol always enjoyed and found rather charming.

He moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "But Avery, you were supposed to entertain me today." Kol protested.

She slowly moved the covers away from her face. A smile slowly spread across her lips. "Oh, so you're here for yourself?" Avery questioned. Kol's only confirming response was the tilt of his head. Before she could say anything else, she started coughing. Kol could hear the coarseness and pain in it. He didn't realize there was a concern written on his face. He'd never been around a human who was in such an awful condition. In the past, he'd always stayed away from places that one could find sick humans. He had found it disturbing. Yes, he'd killed countless humans. But it was always quick and practically painless. Watching someone die slowly and painfully of sickness was different. Now he watched a less life-threatening scenario, only it was with someone he cared about.

As soon as her coughing stopped, Avery's body went back to its shaking. Kol watched her try to hide it for a moment before he got up and walked to the other side of the bed. He lounged in the empty space. "Are you cold?" Kol asked her softly, not bothering to hide his rare sweetness. She nodded her head. "Come here." He ordered gently. Avery did as she was told, scooting closer to him. Kol was sitting up, his back resting against the headboard. She rested her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her. Although vampires were slightly cooler than humans, she welcomed his warmth. Kol wrapped the extra blanket over her shoulders, hoping it would stop her trembling. Avery didn't say thank you even though she knew he'd come to look after her, despite his claims about coming for his own entertainment. The fact that she didn't acknowledge his kindness was what Kol treasured about her. Avery didn't feel the need to point out any sign of good in him. She simply appreciated it, keeping it to herself.

"Kol?" She whispered.

"Yes, darling."

"Tell me about your favorite era." She breathed. Kol was able to hear all the exhaustion in her voice and even in her pulse. Her eyes were closed as she rest against him.

Avery had always been intrigued by the fact he'd lived through so many things that she was only able to read about. Her intellect was curious about his adventures. Kol sighed at her request. After he reminisced for a moment, he began telling Avery about the late 1500s in England. Kol told her about seeing almost all of Shakespeare's plays. He went into great descriptions about the costumes and actors of the theatre. He'd forgotten how much he enjoyed seeing such poetry performed. Just the atmosphere alone was detailed enough to spend days describing. Even with her silence, Kol could tell Avery was listening carefully.

Meredith came home after a short shift at the hospital. The sun had just gone down. Through Avery's bedroom doorway, she saw the television flashing across the floor. She walked toward it and stopped in the doorway when she saw Kol. Avery was asleep against his chest. He looked away from the television in the room, even though he wasn't truly watching it. Kol waited for Meredith to start yelling at him to get out or something. With his time away from Avery, he still didn't know that she'd told her aunt about them.

"She told me." Meredith whispered, making sure not to wake up her niece. But Kol showed neither surprise nor relief at the news. Meredith glanced at the nightstand. There was a bowl of half eaten soup, a cup of tea, water, and cough drops piled on the small surface. None of it had been there before Meredith had left for work. She glanced back to Kol, somehow knowing it had been him.

"I think I've made it clear that I don't like you. And I realize what I say won't matter to you. But if you care about her like I hope you do…please don't hurt her." Meredith whispered. She didn't expect him to answer. He wouldn't lower himself to it. So she started walking toward the door but he stopped her.

"We will never truly trust each other." Kol stated bluntly. "But I hope you will trust me enough to know that I would never endanger her." He murmured. Kol explained himself not for her sake, but for Avery's. He understood that her aunt was important. Meredith was the only family she had left. If Klaus and Rebekah were important to her, he could at least be civil with what family Avery still possessed.

Meredith's mouth was slightly open in disbelief. She'd never anticipated him to even talk to her. After a second, she slowly nodded her head that she understood him. Meredith turned back to walk toward the door. She gave one last look at Avery before closing the door behind her. She sighed, hoping she wasn't making a giant mistake by trusting him.

* * *

**So I know that chapter was kind of a lot of things packed in, maybe in a weird way. But whatever lol.**

**REVIEWwWwW? please :/**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks for the reviews! :) this chapter is kind of short. But deal with it. lol. **

**Music**

**Nude - Radiohead **(Klaus)

**Get Drunk - Lana Del Ray **(Storm)

**I'm God - Clams Casino **;)

* * *

"Why are we doing this?" Avery protested. She was holding the crossbow that Meredith had been hiding in the closet. They were in huge yard of the mansion. There was a slight wind that threatened the air with becoming more severe. A dark veil of menacing clouds drifted above them, unknown if it would bring rain or not.

Kol stood roughly 30 yards away from Avery, waiting for her to fire the stake. "Just shoot the crossbow, darling." He instructed calmly.

Avery closed one eye, trying to aim. But she put the weapon back down again. "Kol, I can't shoot you with a stake. I'm sorry. Just don't ask me to do it." Kol closed the distance between them with his vampire speed.

"I want you to know how to kill one." He informed her.

Avery dropped the crossbow to the ground and crossed her arms. "I don't want to know how to kill anything."

Kol was about to explain it again but he stopped himself and watched her. It was hard for him to understand why she couldn't do it. But he realized what a fool he was for believing she could hurt anyone. While he took death so dismissively, Avery was all too familiar with it. She remind others of mortality when she'd. Kol sometimes denied how innocent she was compared to him.

"There _will_ be a time when I won't be with you." Kol said quietly. He knew all too well that he couldn't always protect her. Just like his brother couldn't protect Hayley. "I want you to be able to defend yourself."

Avery shook her head. "We both know, no matter what you teach me, I won't stand a chance against any vampire."

But Kol disagreed. "At least I can show you enough to slow them down." He wouldn't give up that easily. He took the stake out of the crossbow and forced it into Avery's hand. He then aimed it over his heart just like the night she found out he was a vampire. "It must be in the heart. That can momentarily stop even an original." Kol could hear her heartbeat racing at the idea. Thinking about someone hurting or attempting to kill him made her anxious.

"Ok. I get it." Avery finally said coarsely. She tugged her hand away and he let it go, knowing how much the scenario bothered her.

"Perhaps I could be of assistance." Kol closed his eyes in frustration and sighed, not bothering to turn around. Avery looked over his shoulder to see that Klaus had come out of nowhere. Kol's brother had shown little interest in her. She hadn't actually talked to him since the first day they had met. She couldn't help but think that her human state made him see her as inferior to his social standards.

Avery glanced up at Kol to see his irritation. The pull that was constantly between them had now vanished; Kol had made sure of it. Even though she'd never pointed it out to him before, he always cut her off whenever Klaus was around. Avery didn't know if he was just trying to trick his brother into believing he didn't care about her or if he was trying to trick himself too.

Kol finally turned around. "No, thank you." His calmness was more menacing than relaxing. He needed to give out a warning without verbally threatening his brother. That would only make things worse.

Klaus walked closer to them with his hands behind his back. "Trying to train the young lady into a vampire hunter of some sort?" He mocked. "How adorable." Avery just smiled shyly at him. In these situations, she didn't know whether to be friendly or keep quiet like she usually did.

"Allow me to show you, love." He said to Avery. She saw that Kol's jaw was clenched as she stepped back a moment, unaware of what Klaus was about to do. The hybrid gently took the stake out of her hand. She tried to control her heart rate because she was well aware that both could hear it perfectly. They would be able to detect how scared she was at what Klaus would do. She glanced up to Kol. He was trying to calm her with his eyes. Only she could speak with him in such a way. Klaus was testing them, trying to push one of them into admitting their feelings. Kol knew what was happening and tried to show Avery that it was a trick.

"Let's say I stab this stake through Kol's heart." Avery's missed a breath as soon as Klaus said it. "To someone, who is unfamiliar with originals, they would believe he is truly dead. He would show all signs of a normal vampire death. But only a few hours later, he would revive himself." Avery watched as he lightly traced an X shape across Kol's heart. She felt like any second, he would shove it through him. But Kol was completely unfazed by it.

"Or…" Klaus continued as he chucked the stake to the ground, embedding it into the ground. "…The breaking of the neck will have the same effects. But we both know you aren't capable of doing such a thing to a vampire." His hand grasped the back of his little brother's neck.

Avery's heart jumped when she thought he would snap Kol's neck right in front of her. "Like I said before, I think I get it." She tried to seem calm but her voice shook when she spoke. She wanted him to get away from Kol. It didn't matter if Klaus couldn't actually kill him.

Kol could tell she was about to break. He stepped away from his brother. "You've made your point, Nik." He said roughly, shrugging his brother's hand off his neck. If Avery weren't there, Kol would have already retaliated violently. Her safety was his first priority when it came to sibling scuffles now. But he wasn't always stronger than his brother. It was difficult to match Klaus' hybrid abilities.

Avery expected Klaus to have a satisfied smirk from the reaction he caused. But the older Mikaelson frowned at his young brother and his fist tightened. Just when she thought he was going to leave, he turned his attention to her.

"Nik, will you come on already? You promised me we'd go soon." Rebekah was standing on the mansion's deck, yards away. Avery wondered if she had great timing or she'd interrupted on purpose, knowing the dangers Klaus was capable of.

Without saying a word to either of them, Klaus briskly walked to his sister. Avery turned to say something to Kol but he shook his head again. She was still getting used to being around vampires that could hear basically everything. It wasn't until he heard Klaus' car speed down the long driveway that he relaxed.

"He's worse than usual." Kol stated with a confused expression. "Something is wrong with him. I have no idea what." It explained why he randomly decided to take it out on his younger brother and his human companion.

"Ignore him." Avery said softly as she grabbed his hand.

"How am I supposed to ignore him when he threatens your very life in front of me?" Kol asked angrily. He started pacing in a small perimeter.

She sighed and moved closer to him, now resting both hands on his shoulders. "Look at me." She instructed and he reluctantly did so. "You're fine. I'm fine. We're fine. That's all that matters. Your brother is going to push you, like you push people. We'll just have to deal with it." Kol wrapped his hands around her waist. It felt like at any moment, something would take her away. He'd forced her to become this brave girl because he brought her too close to his world. But Kol calmed by recognizing she was thrown into it way before he met her. Now, at least he was here to protect her from all the madness. Avery didn't need to hear him say it. She didn't need to know that the thought of losing her scared him. Kol was hardly scared of anything. That's why she could read the fear in his eyes so easily.

The wind was starting to become wild. The tree leaves started to flutter and the branches ached in protest. Avery's black hair flew around her face. It made her look enchanted. The darker clouds were quickly being pulled toward them by the heavy gusts. The sun wasn't supposed to go down for another hour or two. But night was now ahead of schedule. The weather was about to force them indoors. Kol listened through the winds to hear that none of Klaus' hybrids lingered inside.

Avery gathered something secret of him. She suddenly became hyper aware of the things around her. The forest began to warn her, like everything nearby wanted her to go back. She jumped when thunder hit. It was so heavy that she could feel it in her chest. Kol glanced up at the sky evenly. Of course he wouldn't be scared of a little wind…or tornado.

Something unexplainable came over Avery. Her lips crashed onto Kol's. They were more intertwined than they knew, for he was about to do the same. She could feel his grip tighten on her waist. His hand traced over the back hem of her jeans before skimming under her loose t-shirt so it now rested on the small of her back. Avery didn't realize how it happened, but they were now in the mansion. She pulled away for a split second to glance outside. Kol had brought her inside right before the rain began to downpour. Avery immediately went back to kissing him. Her fingers reached for the bottom of his t-shirt. But just like always, he pulled away. Except she didn't know he had to stop to control himself, not her. Nonetheless, it still drove her crazy. Especially when she could tell that he wanted it too.

"You should probably go before the storm gets worse." Kol said without looking her in the eye. Avery couldn't help but feel hurt. She knew what he was doing, but that didn't mean that she agreed with it. After a few moments of pulling herself together, she nodded her head in understanding.

Avery grabbed her car keys roughly off the nearby table she'd left them at when she first arrived. She'd never felt more defeated as she walked toward the entrance. When she opened the large door, an abrupt surge of irritation and bravery hit her. Avery slammed the door closed again and walked defiantly back toward the Kol. He stood, watching her calmly, with his hands shoved into his jean pockets. Avery tossed her keys on the closest table.

"Stop it. Stop treating me like I'm so breakable. I know you don't want to treat me like every other girl. But this isn't like the last time for me. I want to and I can tell you do too. Everything is the complete opposite. It…just…feels right…" Avery was losing her momentum. And she couldn't find any more words when Kol walked to her very slowly. By the emotionless look on his face, she believed he was about to force her home himself. But Kol didn't break eye contact as he moved so close to her.

Avery froze in place, hating how completely unpredictable he could be. Kol stopped moving as soon as he could feel her heavy breathing on his neck. He stared into her eyes for a moment. Then, ever so gradually, he lowered his lips onto hers. It drove her mad in the best possible way. They made their way into more heated and passionate kissing. It was the first time Kol was fully in control. There was no holding back now. His hands weren't too careful; they were strong and driven. She couldn't describe how different it was kissing him now. It triggered a hunger inside of her that she never knew she had.

Avery let out gasp when Kol surprisingly scooped her up in his arms. She blinked and they were on his bed. His arms held himself up on either side of Avery. Her hands once again reached for his t-shirt. But this time, he didn't stop her. Avery tossed it to the floor. Kol now hovered over her body only in his jeans. She couldn't control herself as her hands slid down his chest to his abs. But the movement stopped when he started kissing her again. His lips moved down her neck and then to her collarbone while his hands slipped the tank top off her body. His fingers traced down her side, grazing over her exposed ribs. Every one of his touches on her caused shivers to spread across Avery's skin.

Kol pulled away, looking her over. He wanted to tell her she was beautiful. But that was what he would say to them all. Although, it was an empty compliment that was required from them. Sometimes he wouldn't even bother. No, he wouldn't say it to Avery. She read him like no one else could. While he tricked others with his wit and charm, she knew him for his silence. And it was the complete opposite for him; he read her silence as words. They complimented each other in a way no one would ever understand. There wasn't a better reasoning for why they should be together in the most intimate way.

* * *

**Just like with my other fanfic I must address the lack of raunchy detail of a sex scene. Not my thing. It would be awful...i promise...seriously. And if you really want that, just go out & buy 50 Shades of Grey. LOL**

**So review?**


	20. Chapter 20

**Music**

**No One Here (Acoustic) - The 88 **(Waking Up)

**Heron Blue - Sun Kil Moon **(Kol/Avery)

**Good Intent - Kimbra **(The Grill)

**Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Remix) - Massive Attack **(Mystery Vamp)

* * *

Avery woke up gradually and then immediately. She had forgotten where she was for a moment. But the night's events quickly replayed in her mind. She smiled and rolled over to face the other side of the bed. But the sheets were twisted without Kol on top or underneath them. No wonder it felt so cold and empty. Avery looked around the room. But he was not far away. Kol stood in black sweatpants with no shirt on. He stared out the window with his arms crossed. There was still an overcast of grey clouds, but the wind had died down and the thunder disappeared.

Kol seemed to have heard that she was awake, for he turned around to look at her. There was a small smile on him that Avery had never seen before. She couldn't identify it at first because of its novelty. It wasn't charming, mischievous, or deceptive. It was just Kol…happy. She couldn't help but smile at it.

"Good morning." Avery's voice was still raspy from just getting up.

"Morning." Kol laughed lightly at her grogginess. He moved away from the window and sat back on the bed, not able to resist being away from her now that she was awake. When Avery had still been asleep, and he was already awake, Kol listened to her steady breathing. She must have been dreaming because she whispered his name. For a moment, he mistook it as her waking up. But she soon fell quiet again, resting in her peaceful sleep.

It had been strange waking up next to her. He was used to finding random women in his bed after a night of lust. But never this, never someone that he truly cared about. In his mind, Kol knew that there was no way he didn't love Avery. But he couldn't ever say it because he didn't know hot to. Even she wasn't observant enough to realize he loved her.

Kol's back and head rested against the antique headboard. He moved his arm, which was closest to her, a little. Avery didn't move, confused by how he would react this morning. Everything felt different. She didn't know if it was going to be a good or bad transformation yet. Her hidden esteem was scared the morning after, they would act as if nothing happened or changed between them.

"Come here." Kol said and gestured for her to move closer to him. Avery beamed, realizing that she was stupid for believing he would do something so horrible to her. She moved closer, with the sheets wrapped tightly around her. Her body folded into his, resting her head on his shoulders and her hand on his smooth and structured chest. She could feel him kiss the top of her head.

Suddenly, Avery remembered she'd never told Meredith she wasn't coming home last night. She had been so caught up in…other things that she'd totally forgot about it. "Fuck!" Her hand went to her forehead, frustrated with her stupidity. She put on her bra and underwear but then desperately looked around for her clothes. "Where are the rest of my clothes?" She asked aloud. While she was in a panic, Kol was calm and unconcerned with her problem.

"I haven't the slightest clue." He responded casually as he bent his head down and enveloped her in a kiss. Avery pushed away but laughed at him still.

"She probably called the police again." After stopped and smiled at the thought. She really couldn't be that worried while she was with Kol like this. Right now, Nothing really mattered except for him.

"Doubtful. The first place they would look is here." He shrugged.

Avery sat up straighter, away from him. "Are you going to help me find my clothes or not?" She questioned.

Kol narrowed his eyes and smirked. "I much prefer you without them."

She sighed. "You're useless." But Kol had raced to one of his dressers and came back to Avery in a second. He handed a black t-shirt to her and she gave him a grateful smile, quickly throwing it on. With his height compared to hers, the t-shirt stopped on her mid-thigh.

Avery now sat on the edge of the bed, ready to leave. But Kol came out of nowhere, leaning down so his palms were on either side of her legs. His face was hardly an inch away from hers. He was figuring out too quickly how to make her heart almost burst out of her chest.

"I don't believe I want you to leave quite yet." He almost purred. Just his voice alone could raise Avery's heart rate. She opened her mouth to protest but Kol's lips stopped any words from escaping. It was too good to fight.

"I'm not your prisoner." She declared as she was finally able to get herself to pull away from him. But he wouldn't let her get far.

Kol handed Avery her phone. She didn't know where he'd found it. "Call Meredith and tell her where you are. Lie, exaggerate, bend the truth…I honestly don't care. You're not leaving." He said to her firmly.

Avery was feeling bold and decided to test him. "What if I don't want to?"

Kol's lips kissed her shoulder and worked their way up until he was at her temple. "Then you really will be my prisoner." He whispered into her ear. They brought the worst and best out of each other.

Without responding to him, Avery took her phone out of his hands. Her fingers raced across the numbers, dialing Meredith's cell phone. But after the first ring, it went right to voicemail. "Her phone is off. That means she must be at work."

Kol took the phone from her hands and tossed it to the other side of the bed. He leaned down once more. "Good." Just as he was about to kiss her again, there was a knock at the door. Avery looked down to see Kol had the sheets bunched into both of his fists while his jaw was flexed. She placed her palm over his heart, trying to calm him down.

He went to the door, barely opening it. Clearly, Rebekah and Klaus were well aware that Avery was here and that she spent the night. There weren't many secrets in their family. Only Elijah was faintly capable of such things. "What?" Kol growled.

His sister stood on the other side of the door. Avery only knew from hearing her voice. "I must tell you something." She said calmly. It didn't sound like a bad thing. But evidently she knew Avery was there and didn't want her to overhear.

"Later." Kol snapped at her. Avery could hear Rebekah start to say something else but her brother had already closed the door on her face. Avery cringed and jumped a little at the loud noise. And just like that, Kol was back to being his calm and happy self. Not many could keep up with his sudden temperament changes that went from one extreme to the other. Avery was the one person that could. But she could also be the thing to bring him back from the other side.

She started to wonder why it was so hard for them to be alone. Either Kol's siblings were around or Meredith. And they couldn't go out in public because they were still keeping their relationship a secret. Even though it seemed like basically everyone knew already. When Avery told Kol about confessing to Meredith, he acted as if her aunt hadn't already informed him of her knowledge. His short conversation with Meredith was still a secret to Avery. He surprisingly agreed that it was probably best they still tried to let as few people as possible know about them being together. But Avery wanted to spend the day with Kol. There was only one place that they were always completely alone and guaranteed not to be bothered.

"Let's go swimming." Avery whispered, hoping that his siblings didn't hear her. Not that they would ever go there, she just liked the idea of it being some kind of secret. Kol smiled at her eagerness.

"But, darling, you don't have a bathing suit." He teased her.

Avery laughed and got off the bed going to look out the window. Unfortunately, it was cloudy but at least it was still a warm day. "Who said I needed a suit?" She said over her shoulder. "If you really want me to wear one, I guess I can drive back to my house…" But she wasn't even able to finish her joke. Kol had rushed over, picking Avery up and throwing her small body over his shoulder.

Avery couldn't contain her laughter. "So unnecessary." She sighed after a moment of realizing he wasn't going to let her down anytime soon. But very abruptly, Kol let go and dropped her. Avery shrieked, thinking she was going to hit the ground. But he caught her in his arms in the same motion.

"No trust…" He scolded. "You honestly think I'd drop you?" Avery glared at him, but held on tightly to prepare for any other stunts he would pull. "Close your eyes." Kol whispered into her ear. She looked at him strangely, but he just waited for her to do as he said as he walked outside to his balcony. "I don't want to scare you." He added. Avery just shook her head and closed her eyes.

All she felt were brushes of wind from different directions. It seemed like hardly a minute passed when Kol finally instructed her to open her eyes. They were standing at their lake. She looked at him with a stunned smile. Kol gently put her down. He shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "It was faster."

* * *

"Double or nothing!" Matt declared in frustration. Avery had beaten him once again at a game of pool. Bonnie and Elena laughed as they sat at a table, watching them. With the help of her friends, Elena was slowly allowing herself to work her way back into society. She hung out with them more and more every week.

"Matt, we've already played five games. If you lose again, you'll have to cough up almost $200." Avery laughed at how competitive he was. But she shrugged and started racking up again for another game. She heard rushed whispers between Bonnie and Elena now. She tried to overhear what they were saying without showing any signs that she was listening.

"She should leave town. It's not safe." Elena whispered.

"It's only for a few days. Caroline will do what she wants." Bonnie sighed.

"Avery…it's your break." Matt pointed out. He smirked at her, fully aware that she had just been eavesdropping on the girl's conversation. She shook her head and started the game.

"Why didn't any of you tell me?" Avery accused him as quietly as possible, worried that Elena's vampire hearing would catch it. But she was still arguing and discussing Caroline with Bonnie.

Matt's smile was gone. "You're secretly dating an original vampire. And the sheriff, that's the reason Caroline's running, has a thing for you. Avery…you're not exactly the first person people want to share secrets with."

Avery opened her mouth in offense. "Okay…well first, Sheriff Phillips does _not_ have a thing for me. And two, I would never tell Kol anything that I wasn't supposed to. I can keep a secret." She was disappointed that they didn't think she could be trusted. Her loyalty was to them. And Kol would never make her answer something she was supposed to keep hushed. He didn't care enough about Avery's friends to push it.

"Trust me. We were doing you a favor. The less…" Matt started.

"…You know, the better it is." Avery interrupted. "I know. I know. Everyone keeps fucking telling me that." She sighed. But her irritation caused Matt to smile.

Since Kol had been brought up, Avery now kept glancing at the door. Sometimes he would come to the grill with one of his siblings. He would never talk to Avery. She just liked to pretend that, for a second, they could just be together in public. They thought they were being secretive but Matt enjoyed pointing out that Avery couldn't stop looking over at him. Kol was always the better actor.

"Stop looking at the door, Avery. You're starting to get pathetic." Matt tormented as he took his shot.

Avery glared at him. "Just for that, I'm really going to kick your ass. I originally planned to go easy on you. But I don't feel sorry for anymore." Matt's smile immediately disappeared at her threat.

After their sixth game, Matt owed Avery $200. She never smack talked unless she could back it up. Now Matt Sulked at the table. A lot of people from their high school were hanging around the grill tonight. Matt would randomly get sucked into conversations with his old football teammates.

Avery was getting irritated. She just wanted to see Kol and be able to hang out with him. In her desperation, she looked around again to make sure she hadn't missed his entrance. But he was nowhere to be found. However, someone else had caught her eye.

In the darkest corner of the bar, a stranger sat alone. It was a beautiful girl that Avery had never seen before. She was tall, skinny, and her blonde hair almost looked red from the shadows she sat within. Avery noted the girl's clothing. She dressed more like a city girl than someone who lived in Mystic Falls. She wore studded platform heels, teal skinny pants, and a loose fitted white t-shirt. Her black lace bra was slightly visible through the fabric. Avery wanted to point out the girl to her friends and ask if they knew her. But Matt was on the other side of the restaurant and the girls were busy with their in depth conversation.

A brave boy walked over to sit on the chair next to the stranger, even though there were a dozen other ones open. Avery's eyes narrowed as she patiently watched the interaction. The girl looked deep into boy's eyes, which Avery now recognized as one of Matt's teammates. He stared back, strangely mesmerized. The girl leaned in and whispered something into his ear. Avery didn't understand how she knew so quickly, but her mind immediately recognized the girl as a vampire. But it didn't even seem like the girl had used compulsion on her new victim.

Avery knew she needed to do something. It was her chance to prove herself. Everyone wanted to protect her so badly; she would show that she could handle herself finally. What were the point of Kol's forced lessons if she never used them?

Avery moved out of her chair quickly, Elena and Bonnie didn't even notice her absence. She went to the back room. Matt kept a small crossbow, almost like a handgun, in his backpack at all times. He told Avery that it was ridiculous how he felt like he constantly needed a weapon with him. Avery grabbed it and took off her zip-up to cover the weapon as she went back into the restaurant. Just as she returned, she caught the girl leading her victim out the exit that led to the alley. Avery turned back to go through a different door. That way she had a clear shot but could still stay hidden. Once outside, Avery carefully gazed around the corner and saw the two. The girl slowly leaned in, looking as if she was about to kiss him. But Avery saw the vampire's fangs exposing themselves. Her heart was pacing rapidly in fear and anxiety. There was no way a vampire that was so close wouldn't be able to catch it. But the predator must have been too distracted by its prey. If she didn't aim correctly, this vampire could very much kill her. She raised the small crossbow gun, her hands shaking slightly. The aim seemed accurate and she was just about to pull the trigger when someone ripped the weapon out of her hand. Avery whipped around to see Kol now held the crossbow in his hands.

"Have you gone completely mad?" He asked her angrily. Avery turned around to see that the vampire and boy had disappeared.

"What's the point of teaching me if I'm not allowed to use it?" She argued.

Kol broke the weapon in half with his bare hands. "I taught you so you could protect yourself. Not to go out at night as a bloody vampire hunter." He walked past her toward the spot where the girl had just been. Avery followed, refusing to give up on the argument so easily. Kol suddenly stopped right at the spot the girl had just been moments ago and looked around.

"What is it?" Avery asked confused. She had no idea what he planned on doing. Would he kill the vampire himself?

But Kol didn't answer. His eyes were now fixed on something just over Avery's shoulder. She turned around and gasped when she saw the vampire standing only a foot or two behind her. Avery hadn't realized how tall she was, especially with the solid inches added from the girl's heels.

"You're a siren." Kol said in surprise and amusement. That was when Avery realized he knew this vampire. But she was confused as to what he meant by calling her a siren. She knew they what they were. But the term didn't make sense. They were sea creatures, not vampires. But in the vampire world there were many types of predators. A common and popular one was a ripper. But another was another rare form of female vampires. They used their beauty to attract their prey, rarely even using their compulsion. But only very old vampires were familiar with term.

"Don't call me that." She threatened.

"Maybe Empusa?" Kol teased. Avery thought it was sort of an insulting name to call her. She didn't believe the two would realize she understood all of the references they were discussing.

The vampire now acknowledged Avery. "Were you planning on killing me, Buffy?" She said with amusement instead of anger. Avery somehow knew not to fear her, but then something also told her that this girl could also be very dangerous.

"You were going to kill that boy." Avery identified. She was surprised with the vampire started smiling.

"I wasn't going to kill him…only feed." She informed her.

Avery now turned around so she was facing Kol. Her face showed that she was confused and lost. She wanted an explanation. There was clearly some sort of history between these two vampires. Kol caught her confusion and stepped close to her side. He nodded toward the vampire with his arms crossed.

"Avery…" He hesitated. "This is Hayley."

* * *

**Kayyyyy. I'm _realllllllyyyyyy_ curious about your thoughts and feelings. So review? pretty pretty pleasseee.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Blehhh. I'm running on 2 and 1/2 hours of sleep. There is something wrong with him. This is where things get weird lol. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! I finally got some reactions from you guys lol. **

**Music**

**Driveway - Great Northern **(Hayley/Kol)

**Sad News - Chris Garneau **

**Be Here Now - Ray LaMontagne **(Avery)

* * *

"Pleasure." Hayley said charmingly. Kol smirked at how much she sounded like Elijah. "I wish I could say I've heard a lot about you. But this one doesn't know how to keep in touch." Hayley continued with a smile as she nodded at Kol.

There were many times when Avery imagined what Hayley would be like. It varied between picturing her to be amazing or horrible. Except she never expected her to be so nice either way. But of course she'd also be beautiful. To imagine her any other way would be ridiculous. Avery glanced between the two of them.

"Did you drive here?" She asked Kol. He had already been watching her before she turned to him. He nodded his head. "Bonnie and Elena drove me. I'll take your car. You two probably have a lot to catch up on." Her gesture completely took Kol off guard. He always imagined this meeting to go much differently.

Kol fished the car keys from his jean pockets and handed them to her. "We'll meet you at Klaus' house." He never called it his own. Even though Klaus had always built it for his family and not just for himself. Avery nodded and gave Hayley a shy smile before walking toward the parking lot on the other side of the building.

"She seems nice." Hayley said as soon as Avery had turned the corner.

"Hayley…" Kol warned seriously. But she only smiled. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? My brother can't be too far. He rarely allows you out of his sight."

"It was Rebekah's idea for us to come and visit. And Elijah is at the hotel. I don't like when he comes with me when I'm…I guess you can call it hunting." They started walking down the sidewalks of the downtown area and headed home. Kol realized that it must have been what Rebekah wanted to tell him a few days ago when he slammed the door in her face. She was probably too annoyed with him to bother trying to tell him again.

"Why aren't you staying with us?" Kol immediately asked her.

She sighed. "After my summer classes were over, Elijah took me on this trip. We started in Maine and worked our way down the coast. Rebekah called me and asked us to stop here. I don't know. I think Elijah wanted to avoid it. I had to convince him just to visit." Kol knew why and so did Hayley. But neither of them would speak of it. Mystic Falls only brought horrible things onto Hayley. It was the town that caused her countless near death experiences. And eventually it got its way, turning her into what she was now. Elijah didn't want to bring her back to the place where everything had taken a turn for the worst. This town was only filled with bad memories. And Elijah still believed Kol was in love with her. He would keep his younger brother away as best he could.

Hayley stopped walking and faced Kol. It felt like it was the first time she had truly looked at him that night. "I missed you, Kol." She whispered and hugged him before he could say anything back. Nothing had changed when it came to Hayley's feelings toward Kol. He was and always will be her treasured friend. Kol pulled away after holding her tightly. He couldn't say he missed her even though he had. Hayley understood that though. She didn't expect him to say it in return.

"Are you going to tell me about her or will I have to get my information from Rebekah and Klaus?" She threatened with a laugh. They continued walking.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Kol said with fake obliviousness.

"You're right. I should probably just ask Avery myself." Hayley smirked. But he only shook his head at her antics, refusing to fall for the game. "You're different." She pointed out. All smiling and jokes were gone. Hayley observed him seriously. Then she shook her head, trying to clear it. "Fine, don't tell me about you and her. But at least tell me about Avery."

Kol was looking down at the ground with his hands in the pockets while they walked. "Alright, alright." He finally gave in. They both had a stubbornness that was constantly clashing. Neither of them would stop until one of the won. Kol told her anything about Avery that he felt was necessary, which in his mind was everything. She would stop him every so often and ask him questions. Although he couldn't tell, Hayley was catching all the feelings Kol had developed for this human girl. She concealed her findings well, only listening and asking questions as he spoke.

"Her family was killed. That's why she came here in the first place." Kol explained. They were now walking up the long driveway. The mansion was slowly coming into view. "She showed me pictures from the police. It was a new vampire." He stopped and was quiet for a moment. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "When were you and Elijah in Maine?" He asked carefully.

They'd finally reached their destination. Hayley was about to answer the question, not really looking into it. But just as she was about to speak, she stopped. "Why?" She asked him suspiciously.

Kol shrugged his shoulders. "Never mind." He immediately wanted to change the subject. He already knew he had made a mistake bringing it up.

Hayley's arms were now crossed as she narrowed her eyes. "You think it was me. You think I killed Avery's family." She whispered. There was sadness and betrayal lining her voice all covered in disbelief. She didn't bother to hide it.

"That's not what I meant, Hayley." Kol defended roughly. He hated how she was one of the few people to make him feel guilty. It was such a rare emotion for him that it was irritation when actually sensed.

"No, that's exactly what you meant." She immediately snapped. "You think just because I'm a new vampire, I don't have any control. If you actually answered my phone calls, you would know that I haven't killed anyone. And I never will." She wasn't yelling yet, but her voice was loud enough for any vampire inside to hear.

Rebekah and Klaus opened the front door stepping outside the mansion. Avery was a few feet behind, wondering what had caught their attention. Rebekah's face lit up at the sight of Hayley, but quickly vanished when she realized that there was something going on. Klaus, like usual, didn't act surprised by any of it. He watched Hayley and Kol carefully. She glanced over at them, to upset to even pretend to be okay and happy to see them.

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Kol." Hayley muttered before she disappeared into the night. Even if Kol wanted to, there is no way he could catch up to her. She was too fast, even when matched with an original.

"Spectacular. She's here five minutes and you've already scared her away. Why must you ruin everything, Kol?" Rebekah barked as she shoved past Klaus to go back inside. Klaus simply smirked at his younger brother and how easily upset his sister could get. He walked back into the house full of entertainment.

It was only Avery and Kol now. She leaned in the open doorway, watching him silently. Kol stared out into the forest with his back to her. After a minute or two, he finally turned to face her. Avery slowly walked over to him. But he'd already turned back around to stare out into the forest even though there was nothing there.

She carefully wrapped her arm around his side to comfort him. "Come on." She whispered as her arm dropped so she could hold his hand. Kol let her lead him back into the house. As soon as they walked into his bedroom, Kol broke into a mode. He acted as if nothing happened. Avery sat on the edge of his bed, watching him move about the room with no purpose.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Avery asked him carefully. She knew it was a stupid question. Kol never wanted to talk about his feelings or problems. But surprisingly, he faced her and actually acknowledged that she'd asked a question.

"I accused her of killing your family." He said evenly. There was no emotion in what he said. It was clear and monotone.

Avery tried to control her shock, not wanting to show any signs. It wouldn't help her to get him to talk more about it. "You did what?" She whispered, perplexed.

"She mentioned that her and Elijah had been close to there…I haven't the slightest clue why I just exclaimed the idea at her. But I did and that's all there is to it." That was Kol's cue that he no longer wanted to discuss it. There wasn't one part where he admitted he had done something wrong. His pride wouldn't allow it.

"You're trying to push her away." Avery stated daringly. She had her arms wrapped around her legs as her chin rest on top of her knees. It made her look so innocent even though she was being so insightful.

"I _should_ push her away." Kol said after a moment of staring at her. Her statement took him aback. His arms were crossed as he got more and more frustrated with the their conversation.

"Well, you shouldn't do that, Kol. She's your friend." Avery explained. Even if it was brief, seeing Kol and Hayley's interaction helped her understand their relationship better. Hayley obviously cared about him. Definitely not in the same way that Avery did. But Avery couldn't sit back and watch Kol purposely try to destroy his friendship with her. Hayley seemed to be one of the few, if not the only, friends he was able to keep.

"She was never my friend." He snapped quickly. Avery was about to argue the opposite but she thought about it for a moment. Kol had never seen Hayley as a friend. He either loved her or he didn't. And now that he no longer did, he felt like he needed to cut all ties. For him, it was all or nothing.

"But that doesn't mean you…" She started.

"I can't be a friend to her." Kol interjected bitterly. Avery understood now. He didn't know how to be just her friend. And he didn't seem to want to try. But she knew that he was just taking the easy and simple way out.

"She cares about you, Kol. Do you really think it's even possible to just toss her out of your life so simply?" Avery grabbed Kol's cell phone that sat on the nightstand and handed it to him. "Call her and apologize." She instructed.

Kol stared at the phone without grabbing it. "Why do you even care?" He asked her unevenly. She knew he was only lashing out and tried not to take offense from anything he said. "Only a few weeks ago, you ultimately despised me when you found out about Hayley. Now you want me to be friends with her."

Avery immediately shook her head. "I wasn't mad about her. It was that you hid it from me. It's different now. I would be a fool to ignore that you two have a past with one another. And from what I've put together, she's part of your family. If you don't want her in your life, you won't get Elijah either."

Once again, Kol recognized that he didn't deserve Avery. She was too good for him and this was just another scenario that proved it further. Here she sat, trying to get him to make amends with the girl he'd loved before her. Avery's hidden confidence was beaming. There was no jealousy or worry. She simple didn't want to see Kol unhappy and regret one of his careless choices. But Avery also remembered the look on Hayley's face. She had looked so hurt from Kol's accusations. Something needed to be fixed for both of the vampires.

Kol glanced at the phone again. "I don't apologize."

Avery sighed at his stubbornness. "I know that. And I'm sure Hayley does too. But that also shows it will mean even more to her. You don't really have any other choice here." She got up from the bed and handed him the phone. "Call her. I'll be downstairs." Kol was about to protest but she was already out the door.

If it weren't for Avery's push, he would have never done it. But somehow, Kol found himself dialing Hayley's number. He waited impatiently as the phone rang for what seemed like forever. But no one answered it. He knew he deserved it, even though he would never admit it aloud. But he wouldn't give up so easily. He called again but there was still no answer. She couldn't ignore him forever. But Kol remembered her stubbornness was just as bad as his. He glowered at the phone before calling for the third time, surprised when it picked up on the second ring.

"I believe she made it very evident. She does not wish to speak to you." Kol immediately recognized his oldest brother's voice. There was no way he couldn't. "I only picked up the phone because she was about to break it in half." And Kol could hear that Elijah was also upset with him for what he did.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Just give her the phone, Elijah." But Kol was fully aware he wouldn't if Hayley didn't want to talk with him.

"We were still in Chicago the night that girl's family was murdered." Elijah specified calmly. "Killing people may not raise any concern in your eyes, Kol. But such an accusation is quite an offence to her."

"Spare me the lecture, brother. There's no need for me to hear it." Kol knew his brother wouldn't continue to demean him if he didn't interrupt somehow. "Will you please just tell her-"

"You may voice your apologies to her yourself. I don't consider I'd be the person Hayley would want to hear it from." Elijah said before Kol could finish his request. It was thoughtless to expect that Elijah would pass on his message to her. Kol only nodded at being put into his place. Elijah had nothing more to say to him. The phone went silent without good-byes from either side.

Kol ran his hands through his thick hair and then rubbed his face in hindrance. There was nothing more he could do tonight. If Hayley didn't want to talk to him, then she wasn't going to. She was smart; she knew that Avery would change things between her and Kol. They both needed time to realize where they stood now. And she was too furious to deal with it so soon.

Kol tossed his phone on the bed. And went to find Avery. He listened carefully for where she was in the mansion. It was hard to find her soft beating heart and relaxed breathing. He went to one of the dens on the second floor. Avery had fallen asleep on the large couch. Kol took a few steps into the room and stopped, watching her for a moment.

"She turned out to be quite a surprise." A voice said behind him. Rebekah had snuck up on him. She leaned in the doorway with her arms crossed and stared at Avery. Her usual condescending and bored expression was on for show. "I must give her credit where credit is due. She knows how to handle you…how to talk to you." Rebekah sighed, almost ignoring her brother completely and acting like she was talking more to herself than to him. "Avery did the right thing, making you call Hayley to apologize. None of us can get through to you like she can…as much as I hate admitting it." Rebekah finally made eye contact with Kol who was speechless. It had taken such a long time for her to finally approve of Avery that he'd given up on her ever even slightly approving. He didn't know what to say to his sister but it didn't matter. She left the room almost the minute after saying what she wished.

Kol turned away from the door again. Avery was still fast asleep and completely oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place. He walked over to the couch she laid on. If he cared more about Meredith getting upset, he would try and wake Avery to take her home. But Kol wanted to keep her all to himself. And that didn't include letting her sleep on the couch. He carefully picked Avery up and was gently placing her on his bed a second later.

She stirred a little. "Did you apologize?" Her eyes were squinting at Kol who leaned down next to the bed so their eyes were level. She whispered through a half awake and half asleep daze.

Kol smiled a little at her concern but it was also sad. "She wouldn't speak with me. But my charming brother quite enjoyed explaining the damage I caused." He added cynically. As he spoke, he brushed away a piece of her hair that had fallen across her face as she lay down.

Avery sighed and closed her eyes again. "She'll forgive you." Even with her weariness, she was confident in what she said. Kol didn't respond. He knew she had already fallen back to sleep. He gently pulled the blankets around her. Kol needed no other proof or reassurance. He didn't love Hayley anymore. Even the thought was impossible to imagine when Avery was right before him.

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**I'm going to dunkin donuts to celebrate my fucked up sleeping patterns. Meanwhile, you should ALL review so you can make me happy :D**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks for the reviews fools :)**

**Music**

**Regret - Fiona Apple **(Discussion)

**You Belong To Me - The 88 **(Avery/Kol)

**Acid & Everything - Gem Club **(Hayley)

* * *

Avery woke up in Kol's bed alone. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking around to see if Kol was somewhere in the dark room. But he was nowhere to be found. She got out of bed, now determined to find him. Avery grabbed a t-shirt and sweatpants from Kol's dresser instead of wearing her jeans from the night before. She carefully opened the door. There were voices carrying their way back to Kol's bedroom. They sounded like they were coming from somewhere downstairs. Avery assumed Kol was one of the voices and followed the noises down the hall.

As Avery hit the bottom of the stairs, she realized they were in the great room. Her bare feet tiptoed across the marble tiles, trying to be quiet. She still wasn't aware if the conversation being held was meant for her ears. Just before she got to the door, she paused to try and listen to what was being said.

"Had it never occurred to any of you that I would wish to know about the planned destruction of our family?" Avery couldn't recognize the voice that was clearly upset and yet oddly calm. She guessed that it must be Elijah. But unlike Rebekah, Klaus, and Kol, his voice was without an English accent.

"I guess none of us found it important enough to bother." She heard Klaus say. Even when she couldn't see his face, she could tell he was smiling.

"Have we learned nothing from Ester? With enough motivation and dark magic, we are not as immortal as we had once believed. She has proven it more than anyone before her." Elijah said seriously. Avery's curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know what the oldest Mikaelson was like. And even though he hadn't spoken yet, she knew Kol had to be in the room too.

Avery slowly took a step so she was now standing in the doorway. Kol immediately noticed her. Klaus and Rebekah could clearly see her, yet didn't choose to acknowledge her. Elijah's back was to her. He must have noticed his youngest brother's change in attention. He turned around and observed Avery. His eyes narrowed when he finally took her in. She wondered what he was thinking when as he watched. Her face blushed at the abrupt amount of attention they all gave.

She took in Elijah's appearance. He was wearing a dark suit, tie, and dress shoes. Strangely enough, she assumed it must be his usual attire. He had the appearance a true gentleman. Just from the way he was standing, anyone could tell there was something different about him. But most wouldn't realize it was because he's an original vampire.

Elijah turned around to face his siblings once again. "Hayley and I planned on leaving later tonight." He seemed to hesitate. There was something going on in his head that he didn't want to share with them. In his silence, Kol moved across the room so he was standing next to Avery. He gently pulled her further into the room.

"But you can't leave yet, you've only just arrived." Rebekah protested.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just looking for you." Avery whispered to Kol as Rebekah defended her wishes. He shook his head at her to show that it didn't matter. Just like every other time they were around his family, he tried to control his affections for her.

"Just say it, Elijah." Klaus said with a smirk. There was nothing that he took seriously. Avery looked over to see Elijah's profile. He was clenching his jaw. It didn't seem like he would follow Klaus' wishes. "You don't believe we are capable of handling this little problem." Klaus added. Elijah was still quiet, only confirming that his younger brother was correct. He glanced at Kol for a second. Avery was starting to understand what was going on. Kol had explained that Hayley was connected to him. If Kol died, so would Hayley. That was what stopped Elijah from leaving, knowing there was possible danger.

Avery found it startling how much Elijah and Kol looked similar. He resembled an older version of Kol. But from what she'd perceived from stories and small bits of info, their personalities could not be more different. Avery heard the way Kol and his family spoke of their oldest brother. They said he was the most moral. Klaus once spoke of him in almost disgust due to Elijah's sensitivity. But from what Avery perceived of the oldest Mikaelson, he was much altered than she expected. Even though she'd heard he was ruled by his emotions, Elijah almost seemed detached and absent of them. He was composed. Unlike the rest of his siblings, by welcoming his humanity, he wasn't controlled by his reckless emotions.

"There is clearly unfinished business here. I don't believe it would be appropriate to leave while such attention is necessary." Elijah glanced around at his siblings. His gaze fell on Avery's the slightest bit longer than the others. "I shall be back later tonight." He added before leaving the room.

Avery touched Kol's back softly to get his attention. "Can I speak to you for a second?" She asked softly. He pointed his eyes but then nodded before leading her outside to the mansions' deck. "You mentioned that Sheriff Phillips was against vampires. But you never made it seem like it was anything serious." Avery couldn't help but sound worried.

"That's because isn't serious." Kol explained immediately.

"Well, Elijah doesn't seem to think so."

Kol looked at the ground. "He is only worried about Hayley. Her safety is constantly on his mind." He spoke quietly.

"That's not true. He's obviously worried about his family too." Before Kol could argue against her point, she continued. Her voice lowered. "Kol, do I need to be worried? Mystic Falls doesn't exactly seem safe for you right now."

"Avery." Kol lifted her chin with his thumb so she would look at him. "I can take care of myself. There is no need for you to be concerned." Avery nodded her head weakly, but clearly she was still unconvinced. Kol recognized it too and pulled her into his arms. She welcomed the physical comfort and held onto him tightly.

"I'm just scared for you." She whispered.

* * *

A couple days had passed since Elijah and Hayley had arrived. And Avery made sure to be at the mansion. She hoped to run into Elijah again. He seemed to have a more realistic grasp on the situation than the rest of the Mikaelsons. Even though all of them were calm. Avery didn't understand how they could take a possible death threat so lightly. But Elijah had never been at the house when she was. If he had been, he was being very discreet about it.

Avery lay on Kol's bed, reading a book she'd found from the personal library in his room. Kol moved to sit on the edge of the bed, next to her. She put down the book after noticing he was waiting for her attention. "What?" She smiled.

"I'm bored." He stated.

"I'm sorry that I'm not entertaining enough for you." Avery laughed as she hit him with her book. He grabbed it from her hand and tossed it to the side. She heard it hit the wooden floor. "Well, what do you usually do when you're bored?" She asked him. But Kol completely ignored her question. Avery thought nothing of it. Except she didn't understand that the answer was chilling. She didn't realize that Kol found entertainment in killing the innocent when he was bored. But with her, that changed. She kept him from doing such things. But neither of them realized it. Another thought came to mind. "Have you talked to Hayley yet?" She interrogated but he ignored that question also.

"Your presence is not boring me, it's what I'm doing with it." Kol said with a devilish smirk. Avery looked at him suspiciously, not fully understanding what he meant. Kol leaned forward and placed a kiss on the line of her jaw. It caused Avery to smile since she now understood where he was heading. He moved on the bed so his body hovered over hers. Avery's hands crept to his back and underneath his loose t-shirt. Her fingers could feel the muscles in his back as they moved across his skin. Kol began kissing her deeply.

Every part of Avery's body wanted to give in but she pushed him away. "You're ignoring the question." She pointed out. Kol smiled and bent down to kiss her again but she moved away. She swore she heard a growl escape his mouth.

"I can't apologize to someone who refuses to talk to me, Avery." He responded roughly and made it very clear that he wasn't fond about his intentions being stopped. He moved away from Avery and to the other side of the bed.

"You're being stubborn." She pointed out to him as she sat up.

"As is she." He argued.

"But she isn't the one that made a mistake. Be the bigger person, Kol." She sighed; feeling like her advice was doing nothing. She only wanted to help. But trying was useless if he refused to listen.

Kol finally turned away from the window. For a few seconds, he was completely lost in thought. "Will you leave it alone if I promise to speak with her tonight?" He offered her.

"Maybe." Avery teased.

Kol smirked at her challenge. "Maybe?" She smiled and nodded at his reaction. He slowly moved closer to her. His hand traced down her side and caused chills to spread across her skin. He was once again balanced over her small frame, his arms on either side of her. His lips kissed just below her ear and then moved down to her neck. Avery knew she wasn't strong enough to say no to him again.

He paused for a moment and pulled away to look into at her. "Are you sure that's not a yes?" Kol asked her through a smile. He knew his methods were working on her. Avery could only nod her head in agreement. But she shoved him to the side. Now her body was on top of his. He smirked at her confidence, soaking it in. All of Avery's hair fell over one shoulder. Kol couldn't help but admire her beauty.

Her hands rested on his stomach as her knees were straddled on either side of his waist. "But I can't stay long. I'm supposed to meet everyone at the grill later." She gave him a stern look to prove it was important.

"I must tell you, darling, I'm no good at sharing." Kol responded seriously. His statement caused a giggle to escape from Avery. The sound of it ruined all of his self-control. He pulled her close to him as his lips crashed onto hers.

* * *

Kol managed to get the hotel that Elijah and Hayley were staying at from Rebekah. It took convincing and many eye rolls from his sister to finally attain such information. After Avery left the mansion, he was determined to do what he promised. Avery was right, both he and Hayley were stubborn. But she had a right to be after what he accused her of doing. He knew he never should have done it. But his pride wouldn't allow him to admit his mistake.

It was later into the night. The streetlights and moon were the only source of light. But it didn't matter to his vampire vision. Kol stopped on the sidewalk. Only a block length of a park separated him from the hotel. In order to reach his destination, he had to walk through it. The tall trees blocked any moonlight from coming through. There were strangely no humans walking around the area. Kol's senses thought they picked up something. He turned around and found nothing.

But when Kol turned back around he was knocked onto his back and pinned to the ground by his throat. He looked up to find Hayley looking down to him. She didn't seem amused or satisfied with her successful surprise. There was a hint of darkness and anger in her blue-green eyes.

"What are you doing here, Kol?" She asked him darkly.

"Well, aren't you the sly one? I shall be honest, I am quite stunned you were able to sneak up on me." Kol wasn't happy about being tricked. No vampires were able to do such things to an original.

"Elijah said ignorance is a young vampire's greatest weakness. He taught me well." The grip she had on his neck hadn't loosened yet. Her blonde-red hair was falling from her shoulders as she gazed down at him. No one knew she'd be such a threat once she was turned into a vampire.

"I see." Kol replied, and then glanced down. "Do you plan on letting me go any time soon?" He could easily get out of her hold. But he knew that it wouldn't help his case. Hayley may be faster than him, but they both knew he was by far stronger.

"I don't know…are you done being a fucking asshole?" She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. Kol deserved it. But he had enough of allowing her the upper hand and he was done with her game. In one motion, he'd turned the tables and pinned her to the ground. His grip was soft against her neck. But clearly his move annoyed Hayley. She fought against his hold, but Kol pushed her back to the ground. In her rage, her fangs suddenly extended and her eyes went dark with veins underneath. The change surprised Kol and he slowly stepped off of her. He released her as he stood up. Even though he had been with her for the first week of her transition, he had yet to see her vampire form. It proved further that they were both different people and had changed just in a few months.

Her predator form went away in a second. She had been serious when defending that she had control. "I know you're not here to say sorry. You've already told me once that you never apologize. I don't need to hear it again. Go home, Kol." She didn't even bother to look at him when she spoke.

"You were right…I _would_ know about your control if I kept in touch. But I couldn't and don't act as if you are oblivious to the reasons why." Kol said softly.

Hayley hadn't expected him to bring that part up again. "I should get back. Elijah's waiting for me." She turned her back on him and started walking away. After a few steps, she stopped and faced him again. Kol was surprised that there was a layer of tears covering her eyes. He knew she never cried and he also knew she wouldn't right now. The only time he'd ever witnessed it was when she had thrown her body over his when Alaric was about to kill him. She'd saved his life.

"There's this funny thing that happens when you're turned into a vampire." Hayley started. "You remember all the things that you were compelled to forget while you were human." She smiled sadly, feeling ridiculous for bringing it up. "For example, I remembered something in particular that you said to me the night I was killed. Do you remember?" But there was no need to ask, of course he remembered.

Kol shifted uncomfortably. He'd always known that she would remember. But there had been an unspoken agreement it would never be spoken of. No matter what he did, he'd never be prepared to discuss it. "I..." He hesitated. "I said, 'If I loved anyone in my immortal life, it was you.'"

She nodded her head. "For a moment, when I first remembered, I actually believed it. I'm sorry that I never had the feelings you wanted, Kol. But I loved you as a friend…as a brother…the only way I was able to. Which is also why it hurt so much that you couldn't even speak to me after we left. But what's worse is you truly believing I could become such a monster, that I would murder an innocent family. Is that really what you expected me to become?" Hayley ran her fingers through her hair like she always did when she didn't know what to say next. But it was something that Elijah had noticed, not Kol. "That…_that_ is why I'm mad at you."

Kol couldn't take it anymore. "I'm…I'm sorry, Hayley. Not just for the other night, but for everything." He looked her in the eyes as he apologized. Her eyes widened in shock. She never expected him to say he was sorry. He claimed that it happened seldom. But she'd never witnessed it so she saw this as a first.

Hayley sighed and looked away from him. "You never loved me, Kol. You think you did…but it isn't true." Kol always believed he had. But recently, because of a certain human, he was starting to think Hayley was right. She slowly walked toward him. "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you for apologizing." She carefully embraced him. Kol inhaled sharply at the relief of everything as she pulled away. "Tell them I'll see them soon." Hayley said before walking backwards. Kol knew she was talking about Rebekah and Kol. He nodded. Hayley gave them a small smile before she disappeared with her speed. Kol put his hands on top of his head. He had a strange feeling, as if he could breath again. It was something he had never experienced before.

* * *

**1) I know there was a lot of Hayley/Kol right there. But they finally had their closure that was never given to them before. So hopefully that didn't bother anyone.**

**2) If there are people reading this story that didn't read the other one that is intertwined, I'm sorry if you're confused. I never expected anyone to read this story if they didn't read _Forbidden to Remember. _I'm trying my hardest to add small details so you guys can keep up. SORRY!  
**

****Review? **Review? _Review?_**Review? pleaseeee


	23. Chapter 23

**_Thank you_ to all who reviewed. You are all my favorite readers. Yeah you, the one who's reading this and doesn't review, you're not my favorite. How does that make you feel?**

**Music**

**Wildfires - Ohbijou **(Family)

**Time - Hans Zimmer **(Sheriff Phillips)

**Be Good or Be Gone - Fionn Regan **(Avery)

* * *

Avery walked out of the shower with her hair wet and a small towel covering her body. She screamed when she opened the bathroom door to see Kol standing in her room. He didn't even notice how much his presence startled her. She was the only human he was ever around. So he wasn't used to her weaker human senses. Everyone else wouldn't be surprised.

"Can't you ring the doorbell like everyone else?" She sighed.

Kol smiled and moved closer to her. "But I'm not everyone else." He informed her proudly. Before she could even roll her eyes at his confidence, he kissed her gently. Avery pulled away and smiled at the pleasant surprise. She moved to her dresser to grab clothes to quickly throw on. Meanwhile, Kol had wandered over to her desk and randomly glanced at the things that were strewn about.

"What are these?" He asked casually. Avery looked up to see he was looking at the acceptance letters Meredith had fished out of the garbage. She refused to look at them since her aunt put them on her desk.

"They're just college letters." She said carelessly and waved her hand to dismiss any importance to the matter.

"I'm familiar with all of them…Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth. Avery, these universities were established centuries before I was even daggered. All the letters state that you have been accepted."

Avery stopped what she was doing and glared at him. "Yeah, so?"

Kol was becoming irritated. "I may be slightly behind on modern times, but is that not an accomplishment? I assume you will choose one soon."

"It doesn't really matter. I'm not going to any of them." She said before slamming the door of her bathroom to change into her clothes and finish getting ready. A few minutes later, she came back out and thought he had given up interest on the subject.

"What precisely do you mean you're not going?" Kol pushed.

Avery had enough of this subject. She rushed over to him and grabbed the letters out of his hand, tossing them in the tin garbage can next to her desk. "Why do you care so much?" She snapped. His concern was unlike him and it bothered her that her problems brought out something different. "Do you want to be my boyfriend or my parent?" Instead of her sharp retorts hurting his feelings, Kol glared. He was the master at saying harmful things to others. It took a lot for him to be offended by her lashing out.

"Don't be an idiot, Avery." He stated bluntly.

"Um… I think those prove I'm not an idiot at all, actually." She defended.

Kol realized that his harsh returns weren't going to help the situation. He inhaled from his frustration. This was the trouble about caring too much. And all of it was new to him. He was no expert on handling situations in ways other than his own. "I know there is something you refuse to tell me." His voice finally softened, along with Avery when she realized how immature she was being.

"I'm sorry. Its just Meredith's kind of been on my back about it. And I don't really want to think about it right now." Avery sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "I used to care about college. But once my family died…it just didn't matter anymore. It all seems so pointless now." Kol carefully watched her as he leaned against the wall. Her eyes were distant, not quite looking at anything.

"I still don't want to move on without them." Avery looked away from Kol and out the window as tears started filling her eyes. But she felt him sit close to her on the bed. He said nothing, and that's what she wanted. Everyone was always trying to say comforting words. But they never helped.

She wasn't stupid. No one ever gets over a loved ones' death; they just learn how to deal with it. Avery thought about them every day. But that still didn't mean she didn't feel weak for reacting the way she was now. She turned and welcomed his arms as they enclosed around her small body. It seemed so odd to her how his contact could make everything so much better. She took deep breaths in and out, trying to calm herself down and stop the crying. Thanks to Kol, Avery soon relaxed against him.

Kol was supposed to be back at the mansion soon. There was a short amount of time that he wanted to use to see Avery for a little bit before. But now he refused to leave her all alone. Meredith was gone and he didn't know when she would be back. He softly whispered something about taking her with him. She didn't need an explanation and immediately nodded.

Avery waited in Kol's bedroom not much later. He'd stepped out of the room for a moment. All she knew was that Hayley and Elijah were supposed to stop by. Kol had explained that he and Hayley had made their peace. But when he described it to her, she could tell something much more than apologies were settled. Avery didn't think it was any of her business. She trusted Kol and for some reason, she trusted Hayley too. Avery decided to stay out of the family's reunion. Yes, Elijah had already visited. But his visit seemed to be more of business than a visit.

There was no doorbell to announce their entrance. But Avery could hear voices coming from the great entrance hall. It sounded like Rebekah said something about them arriving. Curiosity suddenly overwhelmed Avery. She was always one to observe instead of act. Now she wished to see the interaction between Hayley and the rest of the family. And from how Elijah acted during their first encounter, she was still intrigued by his mysteriousness. Very carefully, Avery opened the bedroom and crept down the hall. She knew there was somewhat of a catwalk that looked down onto where everyone was talking. She could easily watch them and also keep herself discreet and hidden. But she would stay out of the way.

Once Avery was in place, her eyes peered over the edge of the floor to look below. Hayley almost skipped toward Rebekah, enveloping her into a giant hug. Elijah watched from a distance with a kind smile. He seemed like a different person in the presence of Hayley. He looked happy. Avery was confused when she looked over at Klaus who viewed Hayley in a very controlled and careful way. Avery didn't know what to make of it. After Rebekah talked to Hayley, so quickly that it was hard to catch what she was saying, she moved to speak with her oldest brother. That was when Hayley glanced over at Klaus who stood awkwardly away from the group. It seemed like he wished for nothing more than to truly be a part of the family. But something was holding him back. Hayley gave him a small smile and slowly walked over to him. Avery was surprised when she gave him a hug. Hayley whispered something to him that Avery didn't believe anyone could catch but Klaus. He nodded his head. Avery swore she saw him trying to hold back the smallest smile.

"Spying are we?" A voice said quietly right next to Avery's ear. She jumped and whipped around to see Kol, looking amused at her antics instead of upset. Avery blushed at being caught while she was prying. "Come on then." He added.

Avery's eyes widened. "No. I don't want to ruin it. I'll just be in your room." She started walking back the direction she came. But Kol put his hand on her lower back and steered her back toward his family.

"Stop being ridiculous, Avery." He stated firmly.

"Seriously, no, Kol." She urged. But he didn't stop leading her to the staircase. Her heart raced in panic. She didn't fit easily into his family. And now it only made her feel more out of place seeing how graceful Hayley appeared to. She expected everyone to stop conversing immediately at her interruption. But Hayley continued talking softly to Klaus and Rebekah didn't even glare at her. However, Elijah glanced at her as soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Kol stepped away for a moment to speak with his sister. He left Avery to stand quietly by herself. She didn't notice Elijah watching her until the corner of her vision caught him walking toward her. If he saw any signs of her shyness, he was ignoring it.

"I must apologize for not properly introducing myself the other day. My mind was too preoccupied. I'm sure I came off as rather rude." He said every word with such diction and forte. "I'm Elijah." He offered his hand.

Avery looked at it for a split second before shaking it. "Avery." She muttered. The kind smile he gave her made her feel more comfortable. She couldn't help but smile warily back. It still boggled her mind at how different he seemed from Kol. As she noted it in her mind, the younger Mikaelson was once again at her side.

"Rebekah said you wished to speak with all of us." Kol said. Elijah looked away from Avery to his brother and nodded his head. Avery looked around to see that everyone had gone into a different room. And now Kol was leading her and Elijah to it. She didn't feel like she was supposed to be a part of this discussion. But neither Elijah nor Kol said anything about her attending. There now seemed to be an acceptance, or an exception, to Avery and their family. She couldn't figure out which one it was, yet.

She sat on one of the couches in the den where everyone was gathered. There was a space between her and Kol that Avery wished was closed. Even if his family seemed to show acceptance, Kol was still reluctant. She looked up to see Hayley watching her but she turned away as soon as Avery caught the stare.

"This is meaningless, let's just end it now. All the unnecessary drama is beginning to bore me." Klaus said. His voice and posture showed how disinterested he was in the matter at hand. Avery now understood what the meeting was for.

"I thought you promised the Salvatores you wouldn't kill any of these hunters." Hayley pointed out calmly. He looked over at her and shrugged. Avery was surprised to see that Klaus actually recognized what she said.

"We all know Klaus has never been a man of his word." Elijah added cynically. Klaus' lack of honor and inability to keep a promise were the core of his quarrels and displeasures with Elijah.

"Precisely. Let's just kill them and get it over with." Klaus hissed. Avery's heart raced when she thought of Ben Phillips getting murdered. She couldn't just let them kill him. He may be one of them, but it didn't seem like it was a life he chose for himself. Ben couldn't control the family he was born into.

"You can't just kill them." Avery surprised even herself by speaking up. Everyone watched her closely. The attention caused her to blush in embarrassment. "Can't you at least give some sort of warning?" She begged.

"I've already given the sheriff plenty of warnings, and so has Damon Salvatore. The fools know what they are getting into." Kol said seriously. Hayley made a disgusted noise when the oldest Salvatore was brought up. Apparently, she disliked him even more than Kol.

"I'm sure Damon only made matters worse. That's all he's good for." Hayley added. But then she sighed and glanced at Avery. "She's right though. We should give them a warning. Maybe they've killed vampires before. But they've never dealt with any originals. Perhaps we could put some sense into them." Avery was grateful for her support. She guessed it was because she was human not that long ago. Hayley could still see the importance in life. The vampire thirst for death and destruction had yet to consume her.

"I can do it." Avery blurted out. "Maybe Ben…I mean Sheriff Phillips will listen to me." She could feel Kol tense when she addressed the sheriff by his first name. "No one has even seen his family. He's the only person we have contact with."

"Is that safe?" Hayley asked softly. She expected Kol to immediately shut down the idea but he seemed to be contemplating it.

"He won't hurt her. The sheriff has taken a certain liking to Avery." Kol stated darkly. Avery refused to look at him as he said it. She didn't have any proof that could argue he was wrong. She only hoped that it would allow her to convince him to surrender all of his family's suicidal plans.

"Fine. However, if it doesn't work, blood will be spilled. I promise you that." Klaus growled and walked out of the room. He was sick of talking peace when all he wanted to do was kill something.

"It must be done tonight. There is no use in wasting anymore time." Elijah said calmly. Avery nodded nervously and followed Kol out of the room.

* * *

Avery waited in the darkness. She looked up to see Kol watching her closely from the other side of the street. He was in the shadows but Avery was still able to spot him. Kol was like a dark angel that forever watched over her. On the outside, he seemed dark and evil. There once was a time, long before he lost his life, when he was wholesome and moral. But death and blood poisoned his mind, changing him. But deep down, the shadows of what he used to be still lingered. Avery, with all of her goodness, was still able to see its light.

Avery took in a deep breath as she watched the cop car slow to a stop only a few feet away from her. Sheriff Phillips stepped out of his car and looked around. One of his deputies waited in the passenger seat.

"What is it? Has something happened?" Ben immediately asked. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. There were shadows underneath his eyes. He was worn out and tired from something Avery couldn't guess. But she knew it had to do with his family that only just arrived a week or two ago.

"I told you to come alone." Avery stated as she nodded toward the deputy that still sat in the car. But it didn't matter enough. "I have to warn you, Ben. That's why I called you." Her voice shook. If her words didn't persuade him, nothing would. If she weren't successful, his life would be in danger.

"What are you talking about?" He asked her carefully.

"You and your family have to leave. If you don't, you'll all get killed." The sheriff's eyes immediately darkened. When she asked for him to meet her, he never expected her to want to talk about this.

"Stay out of it, Avery." He crossed his arms. "You're on the wrong side."

"There are no sides! You sound as if you want to start a war!" Avery exclaimed. "If you don't leave, you're going to get hurt. It doesn't have to be this way. There doesn't have to be a fight. Please, listen to me."

"It is a war! It's humans versus vampires. How can you go against your own kind? You're siding with the very thing that murdered your family."

Avery couldn't deny that she was hurt by his defense. She looked over to see Kol and Elijah had appeared out of nowhere, and now stood next to her. Avery didn't know what they would do. Kol looked as if he would rip our Ben's throat right there.

"She gave our last warning. By declining it, you know what will follow." Elijah announced calmly. Ben's eyes narrowed at the new original. He knew who he was but it wasn't until now that he realized he was in town.

Sheriff Phillips had enough of being bullied and intimidated by them. His jaw tightened at the threat that was heard in Elijah's statement. "Elijah is it? You're the original with the charming girlfriend, Hayley. She must have come with you." The sheriff sounded so unlike himself. His brow lowered and his voice sounded as if it were coming from a strangers. Avery looked over at Elijah to see he remained calm. "You threaten my family, I threaten yours. She's just a normal vampire. Only one shot to the heart from a wooden bullet, that's all it takes. One shot and she's gone. Her death, unlike yours, will be easy." Sheriff Phillips added aggressively.

Avery looked at Sheriff Phillips, completely horrified. She didn't know who he was. Was this what his family had turned him into? Avery didn't believe there was any way Elijah wouldn't kill him right there. But a blur dashed right past her. She looked over to see Hayley standing right in front of Sheriff Phillips.

"Don't you know it's rude to threaten someone behind their back?" Hayley smiled as her fangs slowly came out. But somehow she controlled her eyes from staying human. She grabbed the collar of his jacket, forcing his toes to barely graze the ground.

"Let's try it again. This time, look me in the eye and say it." Hayley whispered frighteningly. The deputy inside the car panicked at the sight and jumped out of the car with his gun raised. Kol instantly rushed over to stand in front of Avery, shielding her. If the cop's aim was off, she could possibly get shot. But it didn't matter. Hayley had raced over, ripped the gun out of his hand, and broke it in half.

Avery covered her mouth in panic. The situation was rapidly falling out of control right in front of her. She glanced over at Elijah. He seemed to be trying very hard not to intervene. Sheriff Phillips had whipped around, his gun aimed at Hayley. But she was using his deputy as a shield. Her arms were wrapped around him, holding his back to her.

But Elijah couldn't stand back any longer. He stepped in between the sheriff and Hayley. The gun could kill her but not an original. Elijah stepped slowly forward, closing the distance between him and the gun. "You can't win this." He stated.

Avery tried to walk toward Ben, prepared to beg for his life to be spared. She was the only reason he was here in the first place. But Kol wrapped his arms around her and grasping her back to his chest. She couldn't break out of the hold. "Let me go, Kol! Don't let them kill him! He came here to talk to me. I didn't ask for him to come as a trap to murder him!" She cried.

The pleas caught Hayley's attention. "Elijah." She said quietly so he could hear her but Avery couldn't. He paused and glanced behind at her. She simply shook her head. Avery desperately tried to read their silent communication. But she couldn't figure out what they were going to do. Then she blinked to find Hayley had disappeared. Elijah was now standing barely a foot away from Ben.

"Threaten her or my family again, and I will kill you myself." Elijah spoke evenly and clearly. But it was quiet, and only Ben could hear the threat. "Tell your family they have tonight to leave. If they are not gone, you will find no more mercy." Then Elijah also disappeared into the darkness.

Avery let out a sigh of relief. She couldn't let Ben die. Her body relaxed and stopped fighting against Kol's hold. But Kol was once again pulling her away from the scene. "I hope you're pleased with yourself. You're the only reason my brother spared his life." He muttered, making it clear that he was livid.

"What are you talking about? Hayley was the one that stopped him." She defended, believing that Elijah's change of heart was because of Hayley and not her.

"And Hayley stopped him because of you."

A wave of rage suddenly crashed over Avery. She saved Ben's life and now Kol was irritated by it. She whipped her arm out of his grip and turned to face him. "Do you really think I'm going to stand by and watch you murder innocent people? I saved his life because it was the right thing to do."

"They're anything but innocent, Avery. They wouldn't have hesitated had the situation been reverse. We have to protect ourselves." Kol hissed. She was giving him the look that always weakened him. It was like she saw the horrible person he truly believed he was. "It's kill or be killed." He affirmed steadily.

Avery looked at the ground. "I understand that you're okay with that. You're one of the first vampires ever. Death is something you can never get away from. But I'm human, and I just can't see it that way. That's where we are different." She finally looked him in the eyes. Kol could tell there was more and waited for her to finish. "I didn't try to change you…don't try to change me either."

* * *

**TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! PLEASE! Review- W- ReViEw**


	24. Chapter 24

**Sooo I didn't get an email confirmation about this chapter being published. I posted it again. So sorry if you already read it and got excited or something lol.**

** I forgot to say Happy 4th in my last post! So Happy Belated 4th of July...if you're american. If you aren't...that's...awkward? LOL. Thanks for the reviews. I got some pretty in depth responses from all of you. :)**

**Music**

**Slow Life - Grizzly Bear **(Elijah)

**We Can't Be Beat - The Walkmen **(Kol/Hayley)

**Runaway - Yeah Yeah Yeahs **(Klaus)

* * *

After Avery and Kol returned from their plan that had completely backfired, she wanted a moment to herself. She went outside to get some air. Avery now stood on the back patio of the mansion, overlooking the forest. At an unknown time, the darkness had become calming instead of scary. She could hear the hum of countless crickets hiding from view.

"Enjoying the view." A voice said behind her. She jumped at the sound. "I apologize, I didn't mean to startle you." Elijah defended sincerely as he walked closer and leaned on the railing next to her.

"It's fine." Avery mumbled. The oldest Mikaelson made her uncomfortable. There was an intensity he possessed that she didn't know how to handle. Her silence combined with his, caused something to linger in the quiet that made it almost eerie. She couldn't explain the feeling.

"I assume you had quite a part in Kol's apology to Hayley." Elijah stated after a few moments of stillness. Avery quickly looked at him, surprised by his boldness of bringing up such a subject. "I know my brother well enough to realize he would never have done it without someone…important telling him to do so." He seemed to read her face and smirked a little at it. Avery found it funny how much him and Kol looked alike but how different they acted. Kol's smiles were always filled with amusement or mischief. But Elijah's were kind and subdued. Except when she caught Hayley making him smile or laugh. Those were different altogether.

"Hayley and my brother's relationship is tenuous and difficulty to explain. I understand Kol has explained his side of a story. But I thought you would appreciate a version from another point of view." Elijah continued as he grasped the stone railing that separated the patio from the large yard. He waited for Avery to give some sort of indication that she wanted to hear it. After an awkward pause passed, she cleared her throat and nodded.

Elijah nodded and looked away from her. There was a beat of silence before he began. He didn't really know how to start. "My brother met Hayley just after being awoken after over a century. It still baffles me, but they quickly formed a sort of bond. She showed him that it was okay to acknowledge mortality. I believe she found his humanity, even when my family and I thought it died a long time ago." Elijah stopped gazing out into the forest to look at Avery for the most important part of what he had to say. "Kol never truly loved Hayley. But he believes he did. She helped him in a way no ever had and it made him mistake his gratitude for something deeper."

"Why are you telling me this?" Avery asked, her voice shaking faintly. This was much more than she ever expected to learn. She didn't understand why he would go into such depth.

"Because I want you to see that you've done much more for my brother than Hayley ever could. She may have reminded him of what it is like to be human. But you are the only one that showed him he was truly capable of obtaining love. I wish for you to know that. I would hate for you to consider he doesn't love you as much as you believe he loved her."

"Love…that's a very dangerous word." Avery laughed bleakly. "I think it's a little too soon to say Kol loves me." She wanted to believe it. But she thought Kol and her needed more time for her to trust he felt such things toward her.

Elijah watched her for a moment. "But you love him and he loves you. Kol might not be able to tell you. He may not even know yet."

Avery's eyes narrowed. "Then how do you know?" She challenged.

"I see the way he looks at you." He paused. "I've never seen him treat anyone the way he treats you. He attempts to hide it from us… useless, in my opinion. I presume the act is more for Niklaus than for Rebekah and me."

Avery was quiet as she took in what he was saying. She saw the way Elijah watched Hayley. She'd never seen anyone look at someone in such a manner. She didn't doubt that he would do absolutely anything for her. Their relationship seemed so simple and adoring. Even when they weren't standing close to one another, Avery could almost feel their connection. She wondered if that was what Elijah saw in Kol when he looked at her. Then she realized their relationship was too dissimilar to expect such things. That didn't make theirs any less meaningful. Everything was just different. Her and Kol were special in their own way.

"I fear I've interrupted your time alone." Elijah stated charmingly. "Excuse me." He turned to walk back inside, leaving her isolated once again.

"Elijah?" Avery quickly said just before he disappeared. He stopped and looked at her, welcoming whatever it was she needed to say. "Thank you." Elijah only nodded in return before closing the door behind him.

* * *

Kol could tell Avery needed a moment alone. They didn't exactly have a fight. But she did say something that could not be ignored. And she was right. It was unfair for him to try and expect Avery to accept the horrible actions his family performed. She was too good for that and he was a fool for forgetting it. Especially when she ultimately accepted him for everything he was, the good and the bad.

Kol went up to his bedroom, knowing that Avery would find him when she was ready to talk to him. He went outside to his room's balcony. There was a small rush of air. A human would never be able to detect it. But of course, Kol felt the breeze against his skin easily.

"You're losing your touch." Kol said as he turned to see Hayley standing close.

She appeared amused by his remark and he took her in. There was once a time when he believed she was the only human he could ever love. But that had all changed. "How do you know I was trying to sneak up on you?" Hayley raised an eyebrow. But he just shook his head. She sat on the edge of the stone railing. It was something that would make Kol nervous if she were still human.

"Would you have killed him even if Avery hadn't stopped you?" He asked her seriously. His question caused her smile to immediately disappear.

"I honestly don't know. I was angry and they were trying to kill me. If it hadn't been for Avery, I might have." She shrugged her shoulders. Elijah wouldn't have stopped her. If anything, he would have just done it himself.

"You should have killed him." Kol growled as he gripped the railing.

Hayley glared at him, taking his comment as a hit on her effectiveness. "I stopped because Avery wanted me to. So don't act like you're mad about it." She looked at her shoes as they kicked back and forth in the air. "Do you love her?" She asked him quickly, hoping it would ease the transition.

"Stop it, Hayley." Kol's patience was starting to become irritated. He didn't want to talk to her about it. Not because it was Hayley, but because he didn't know how to answer. Obviously he cared about Avery. But he didn't even want to think about love. He had repressed and denied it with all he could until now. Except, that was the very reason Hayley brought it up. She noticed earlier how Kol tried to keep his distance from Avery every time he was around his family. Hayley understood why he did it and she wanted to help him more than anything.

Hayley was aware if she didn't approach the situation exactly right, he would never open up or even let her help. She sighed and moved so she was laying on the wide surface of the stone railing. Her eyes gazed up at the stars. It was her way of giving him time to realize he could talk about it.

"Stars…that's the one thing the city doesn't have. You can actually see them out here." Hayley whispered to herself. Her hands were folded on top of her abdomen. Kol glanced up at them with hardly any interest. He was too busy trying to find a way out of the conversation she was forcing upon him.

Hayley sighed once again when she realized that he would never start talking. So she decided all she could do was tell him what he needed to hear. "If you want something you've never had, you have to do the things you're scared of." Her words came out like poetry. Kol quickly looked at her. Hayley had a knack for saying things that were beyond her generation. It was one of the reason's Elijah had fallen for her. He once told her she had an old soul.

"Being in love and truly caring about someone terrifies you." Hayley pointed out to Kol. They both knew she was right. "It won't make you weak; it will only make you better…like it already has."

She sat up and stared seriously into his eyes. "And if you want my opinion, she's worth it…absolutely worth it." Once she got her message across, she laid back down to stare up into the night sky. Just like that, she was finished with what she needed to say to him.

Kol's first reaction was to snap something back about how Hayley didn't know what she was talking about. And normally, he would leave the room, completely irritated. But something hit Kol as he listened to what Hayley had to say. And for the first time, he truly saw her as a friend. She offered her support so he could confide in her unlike anyone else.

"But Nik...he will-" Kol started.

"Klaus will do nothing." Hayley interrupted. "He's changing whether he wants to admit it or not. He has to if he wants his family back. Stop using that as an excuse for not telling Avery how you truly feel."

"You don't know that." He argued about her thoughts on Klaus.

But she shook her head right away. Before she could argue further, both of them heard Kol's bedroom door open inside. Hayley slowly sat up and jumped off the railing back onto the balcony.

Avery came quietly walking outside. "Hey." She addressed both of them, but only looked at Kol as she said it. But after she took in a deep breath, her gaze switched to Hayley. "Thank you for saving their lives."

Hayley shrugged as if it were nothing and put her hands into her jean pockets. She decided it was time to leave the two alone and started walking back inside. But just before going inside, she faced Avery. "Hey, I think Rebekah is dragging me with her to go shopping tomorrow…do you want to come?"

Avery immediately eyed Kol to see if this was all his idea. But he didn't seem to know anything about it. "Umm sure." She answered after thinking about it for a second. Avery hadn't expected the question and was now embarrassed at how surprised she probably looked. Hayley only smiled before walking back into the mansion, leaving Avery and Kol alone.

"I think she likes you." Kol laughed at Avery's face that was still stunned.

"Why?" She blurted out before even thinking about it.

"I don't know. The very idea baffles me. Why would anyone like you?" Kol said sarcastically, which earned him a slap to the arm.

But Avery smiled at his teasing. Then she remembered something she'd meant to ask him after watching his family earlier. "Hey, what's the deal with Hayley and Klaus?" She asked him interestedly. Kol looked surprised by her curiosity. He didn't think she'd be able to catch their odd relationship so quickly.

"I never gave it much thought really." He started. "From what I've gathered, they had very similar situations as humans. They're quite alike in personality, as hard as that may be to believe."

"No, I think I get what you mean by that." Avery justified as she thought about it. When Kol pointed that out, she didn't feel as bad for not fitting into the original family as easily as Hayley. She had advantages Avery could never grasp.

"She's his only friend." Kol finished. He didn't really know what else to say.

"That's not true. What about you, Rebekah, and Elijah?" She offered.

"We aren't his friends. We're his family. There is a difference." Kol said bleakly. He loved Klaus as a brother. But it was because he felt a responsibility. If they weren't related, there would never be a friendship formed.

* * *

Hayley quietly walked downstairs to Klaus' art room, knowing she would find him there. At vampire speed, she sat in the only chair inside the room. Klaus was painting on a small canvas. She knew he could tell she was sitting there.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, love?" He said without taking his eyes away from the work facing him. Meanwhile, Hayley casually glanced at his various sketches spread out on the table. Her eyes rolled at his theatrical charm.

"I was just talking to Avery and Kol." She leaned back against the chair with her arms cross. "She's pretty quiet, but I think I like her."

Klaus showed no interest in the subject. "I haven't bothered to notice." He said bluntly as he finally glanced over at Hayley while he continued to paint. He felt like he knew where she was going with the subject.

"Oh yeah? Well, have you bothered to notice that Kol continues to push her away because everyone is familiar with your hostile methods?" She said cynically. It earned her a glare from Klaus. Hayley was one of the few people who could say what she really wanted to him without getting her heart ripped out. But he decided to ignore her argument. Hayley suddenly heard Elijah calling her name from a room at the other end of the mansion. She got up but waited for Klaus to look at her before she left. He could feel her waiting. Finally, he sighed as he put down his paintbrush and giving her his full attention.

"You want a family? Well, then start treating them like they are. If you love them as much as you claim, you wouldn't dagger them or threaten the people they care about every time they upset you. Showing your affection toward your brothers and sisters in near death situations doesn't count. You have to prove it to them when it's the least important." Honesty was never an issue for Hayley. And seeing Kol torn because he wanted to protect Avery irritated her. "Trust is what you need, Klaus. And none of them have any for you."

Her tone now tempered, showing how closely she wanted him to listen. "Don't hurt Avery. Don't ever even threaten Kol with her." Elijah stood in the doorway a few seconds later. Hayley didn't know how much he was able to catch of her lecture. But it didn't really matter.

"Are you ready to go?" Elijah asked her calmly as he watched his brother skeptically. Just like Kol, he didn't trust his hybrid brother around the girl he loved. But the situation was still significantly different.

Hayley nodded before giving Klaus one last glance. He was still, refusing to show any reaction that would tell her what he thought of her words. But she was right. All Klaus' talk of wanting a family and yet he didn't know how to be a brother. There was more to it than saving his siblings' lives when they were in danger. He didn't want to change, but he'd have to if he wanted to keep his family.

* * *

**Blah Blah Blah. You know the drill lol**


	25. Chapter 25

**Music**

**Run From the Gun - Dead Confederate **(Shopping)

**Give Me Strength - Snow Patrol **(Hayley/Avery)

**Unlike Me (A'cappella Version) - Kate Havnevik **(Kol/Avery)

* * *

"Where the hell are you going to wear that?" Hayley asked Rebekah. The original vampire was dressed in a gold and beaded Givenchy gown. Avery smirked at Hayley's interrogation. Even surrounded by billionaire vampires, Hayley was still capable of being very modest and realistic.

"Why do I need someplace to wear it?" Rebekah whined.

"Because if you don't, it will sit in that ginormous closet of yours. It would be such a waste." Hayley laughed. She glanced at Avery for reinforcement. But she just shook her head, trying her hardest to stay out of the playful argument.

Rebekah smoothed the dress out as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "You're right though. It would be a shame to get this dress and never show it to anyone." She was quiet, as she got lost in her thoughts. "In that case…I guess we'll just have to throw a celebration!" Rebekah beamed as she turned back around to face them. Avery just looked confused.

"You're kidding, right?" Hayley questioned.

"Not at all." Rebekah smirked. "Mother threw a ball to celebrate our family reuniting. But…it turned out to be a scheme to destroy us all. It was a bore anyways. Not exactly our style…too formal and we weren't allowed to kill any of the guests. Now we really are all together. We should do it right this time."

Avery carefully looked between Rebekah and Hayley. Although Rebekah seemed civil and willing to tolerate her, Avery still felt like she had to win her over. But she couldn't help but agree with Hayley on her uncertainty.

"There's a group of vampire hunters trying to kill all of your family, and you want to throw a party?" Hayley pointed out. "I don't want to ruin your fun, but I don't think that would be the best idea." Avery agreed with what she said, mostly because she was worried about Kol more than she let on. Throwing a party was the perfect chance for them to be attacked.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Honestly Hayley, you're becoming too much like Elijah. A celebration is in order and it will be a perfect excuse to dress up. I know you can't refuse a chance to wear an evening gown." She paused and turned her attention to Avery. "Of course you're coming too." Rebekah added casually. Avery was about to protest but Hayley just shook her head. It was probably better that they just let Rebekah have her way.

"You'll have to convince Elijah." Rebekah said to Hayley. "He won't go unless you convince him. You know he hates parties. But I'm sure if we tempt him with you wearing a suggestive dress, he won't be able to turn down the idea." Rebekah winked. Hayley shook her head while Avery couldn't help but let out a laugh.

Hayley sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Fine." She agreed in frustration. But she couldn't handle Rebekah's slow shopping pace. She tried on everything that caught her eye even though they all knew she would buy it no matter what. Hayley glanced at Avery. "Avery and I are going next door to get a coffee." She gave her a look to just nod and go along with it. "The human needs caffeine. Your shopping is tedious enough to kill." She whispered so none of the clerks could hear. Hayley grabbed Avery's hand lightly and dragged her out of the store. Rebekah was already busy staring at herself in the mirror to bother caring about their escape.

When they were inside the coffee shop, Avery let out a sigh of relief. Hayley smiled at her as she walked to register to order them some drinks. "I know. Rebekah can be a handful…but she means well."

A few minutes later, their coffee was ready. Hayley took a seat at a table and took a sip of her drink. "It's weird seeing a vampire have human food." Avery said quietly, making sure no one heard. Kol never ate or drank food; he didn't even drink blood in front of her. She actually started to wonder if he was consuming straight from the source or from the blood bags she'd fallen upon in their freezer.

"Kol probably thinks he's above it." Hayley laughed. Her smile lessened a bit as she prepared to ask about what she'd been wondering ever since she'd met Avery. "So you and Kol…" She laughed a little to ease the change of direction. Avery immediately blushed. Was it strange to be talking about Kol with Hayley? She couldn't decide. "I don't mean to pry. I've already made my observations but I was kind of curious on what you would say if I brought it up." Hayley smiled before taking another sip of her drink.

Avery laughed. "Is this where you get very protective of him?" She teased.

Hayley smirked and shook her head. "Kol can take care of himself."

Avery put all the teasing aside. "Elijah already talked to me about Kol and you last night." She looked up to see that Hayley's smile was gone. "It's fine. I get it. I'm not threatened or anything. You're friends. And you're in love with Elijah." Hayley suddenly decided she was done trying to push for information from Avery. She had no idea that Kol had said anything to Avery about her. Hayley realized it was probably very uncomfortable to ask her about Kol now. But Avery felt an odd ease when she thought about talking about him with Hayley.

"It was so unexpected." After started. She could feel Hayley's eyes burning with interest but also trying to subdue it. "At first, I saw Kol as some distraction, something to get my mind off of everything else that I was feeling. Then one day, I just kind of looked at him and realized that I loved him. And I wondered how I hadn't noticed it sooner. I guess that's the funny thing about love. It finds you when you've really given up on it and completely catches you off guard." She looked up nervously at Hayley, waiting for how she'd respond. Last night, she never told Elijah that she loved Kol like he foretold. But she did and it was the first time she said it to anyone out loud. Hayley wasn't surprised by it. If anything, she looked satisfied that her guesses were spot on. Hayley had always been good at seeing things most overlooked. She knew that Kol and Avery loved each other; she just wanted to hear them admit it to themselves.

"The biggest thing I learned about Kol is that he tries being as detached as possible. He doesn't want to feel for anything or anyone. Because he knows…the more he cares, the more he has to lose. But Kol loves you, Avery." She confirmed just like Elijah had. Hayley let out a laugh. "Out of all the stupid shit he's done, you're the riskiest." She looked up to see Avery looked just as amused as her. She knew just what Hayley was talking about.

Hayley's cell phone buzzed on top of the table. Her eyes scanned the screen and sighed. "Rebekah needs our opinion. Break's over." And just like that, she acted as if she never said anything about Kol. She stood up and waited for Avery to follow. After getting over her fluster, Avery followed Hayley out of the coffee shop back toward the boutique where Rebekah waited for them.

Abruptly, Hayley stopped on the sidewalk and turned to face Avery. "Matt is asking for you." She said simple. Before Avery could even get confused, Matt was running over to them. Avery didn't know she had even met Matt before.

"I didn't know you were in town, Hayley." He said to her, slightly suspicious. She only smiled and looked at Avery. Matt shook his head, remembering what he came over for. "Where have you been the last couple of days? You disappeared that night at the grill and I haven't seen you since." But then he looked over at Hayley, starting to think. "What's going on?" He asked both of them carefully.

Hayley laughed at how skeptical he was acting. "Matt, nothing is going on. Elijah and I are just visiting. Do you really think we could keep a big secret in the town of Mystic Falls?" Avery was amazed at how good of a liar she was. She almost believed the story herself.

Avery caught her cue. "Sorry, Matt. I've just been spending a lot of time with Kol." But then she caught the worry in his appearance. Maybe he looked stressed not because he was worried about her but because he was worried about things in his own life. "What's wrong?" She asked him softly.

He looked over at Hayley, not sure if he could trust her. There had hardly been any interaction between the two of them. She saved his life once and she'd done nothing to make him mistrust her. "I'm just worried about Caroline and Elena. Is there something going on? I know Sheriff Phillips knows…about things. I just don't want him to find out about Caroline. He's the whole reason her and Tyler had to go on the run. I can't help but feel like something bad is about to happen." Matt then shook his head, making himself think he was becoming paranoid. "You know what, never mind. I have to get to work. I'll talk to you later." Avery watched him walk away from them and down the street.

"You know, you can tell him if you want." Hayley said softly as she watched her. Of all people, the two of them knew keeping secrets wasn't always as good of an idea as people thought. But she decided it wasn't her place. "Caroline's in town?" Avery turned to see Hayley had a grin on. "That explains why Klaus as been on edge lately." Hayley informed Avery in amusement. She laughed and then started walking.

Avery jogged a bit to catch up with Hayley's long legs. "What do you mean? What does she have to do with Klaus?" She whispered.

"He has a thing for her." Hayley said nonchalantly. Avery's eyebrows creased. The idea of Klaus having a crush on anyone was unbelievable. She didn't even consider he was capable of such things. Hayley was about to open the door to the boutique but she turned to Avery. "You probably shouldn't talk about it in front of Rebekah. She's not really a fan." She whispered.

Avery rolled her eyes. "Is she a fan of anyone?"

Hayley laughed at that. "You and me, of course."

* * *

The shopping trip lasted all day thanks to Rebekah's shopaholic ways. Although, Hayley's sarcastic and clever humor did make it quite entertaining. But Avery was relieved when she finally pulled into her driveway. As she walked up the sidewalk, she stopped and looked at the house. She didn't know when, but it finally felt like home. Avery sighed in relief at its welcome.

She opened the door to see Meredith running about the house, grabbing random things. "Hey! How was your day?" Her aunt rushed.

Avery smiled. "It was fine. Leaving for work already?" She had another night shift but it didn't start for an extra hour.

"Yeah. I thought I'd get there early." Then Meredith stopped what she was doing and actually looked at Avery. "How are you doing? I've been at work so much, I feel like we never get to talk anymore." She said sadly.

Avery smiled at her aunt's concern. "I've fine, Meredith. How are you? Are you even a real person with all the work you've been doing? Not a zombie?" Meredith just laughed and nodded her head.

"You should go. I'm actually pretty tired." Avery assured her as she slowly walked to her bedroom and closed the door. She faced her room to see Kol glancing at a magazine that had been on her desk. Avery opened her mouth to say something. But Kol rushed in front of her in a second. Covering her mouth, he pointed toward the door. He was waiting for Meredith to leave. Avery listened for the front door to close. Even though her aunt had accepted him, there was no way she'd be fond of her being alone in the house with him.

As soon as Meredith bounded down the front porch stairs, Kol removed his hand from over Avery's mouth. He smiled mischievously before quickly kissing her delicately and then moving to lounge on her bed. Avery collapsed on the other side and stared at the ceiling as she exhaled deeply.

"Learned your lesson, have we? Never go shopping with my sister." Kol smiled down at her, clearly amused at her exhaustion.

"It's kind of all or nothing with her, isn't it?" Avery laughed. "But Hayley made it a lot more hilarious. She has a little rebellious streak." Avery teasingly narrowed her eye at him. "I know why the two of you are friends now." Kol rolled his eyes at her attempt to insult him. "Rebekah plans on throwing a party, by the way. Hayley tried to convince her to change her mind. But… well, I'm sure you know how that turned out."

"Is that so?" Kol asked, half interested. He was sitting close to her, playing with her hair that had spread out across the bed. If the subject of their conversation was going to be Rebekah, he was going to be focusing more on Avery being right in front of him.

Avery went back to looking up at the ceiling. "She invited me. But I'd rather not go to it if I have to pretend like I don't like you." Now she had Kol's attention. He stopped playing with her midnight-black hair and paid close attention.

"Then don't pretend." He said simply.

Avery sat up, propping herself on her elbows to look at him. "What about Klaus?" She asked seriously. They'd never talked about why they always detached their feelings around his family. But they both knew why it had to be done.

"My brother will behave. Now he can take his anger out on the people trying to kill us. He no longer has his high expectations pointed at me." Kol lied. Avery nodded as she let out a yawn. The real reason was his realization that he was done worrying about his brother. It was one of the many factors keeping him from telling Avery that he loved her.

Avery moved over so her head rested on Kol's chest. Her hand was placed on his stomach and the rest of her body relaxed against him. Kol wrapped his arm around, never realizing how protective he watched over her. "Will you spend the night?" Avery whispered with her voice displaying tiredness. She looked up to see Kol nodding calmly. He would have even if she hadn't asked. Since Elijah and Hayley came back to Mystic Falls, they were never really alone in the mansion. Klaus and Rebekah were always there. And Avery was trying her hardest to get along with all of them that she refused to let Kol keep her to himself.

It was these moments that caught Kol off guard. They were so simple, so comfortable. He never imagined he would have something like this. Before, he didn't even know feelings such as these even existed. His mind had only been familiar with lust, whether it was blood or desire. But now he looked at Avery, noticing how differently he saw and felt everything. He wanted right then to tell her he loved her and then apologize for not saying it sooner.

"Avery…" Kol whispered into her ear. Her eyes were closed and she was half asleep. He could feel her heartbeat slowing against his chest. But Avery had already fallen to sleep and didn't realize he hadn't told her what he'd intended to. "I love you more than you will ever realize." He continued. But Avery never heard it. She was too lost in her dreams that consisted only of him.

* * *

**Sorry for this being a shorter chapter. But whatevs. Had to happen. **


	26. Chapter 26

**Thank you to everyone who continues to read this story with enthusiasm and joy. :)**

**Music**

**Tessalate - **(Baseball)

**Under the Waves - Pete Droge **(Kol Talks about E/H)

**Claire De Lune - Debussy **(Klaus)

* * *

"No, wait stop!" Avery shrieked before Kol threw the baseball. "I'm scared. You're going to throw it really hard. I know it." She giggled as he shook his head at her ridiculousness. But she didn't grasp how adorable he also found her.

Rebekah was setting up for the party in the mansion and yelled at everyone to get out. Apparently, they were all getting in the way. And somehow Kol convinced Avery to play baseball. Meanwhile, Elijah and Hayley stood nearby and observed. She was laughing hysterically at how terrified Avery was of hitting a baseball. Elijah looked equally amused but it seemed to be more from Hayley's uncontrollable laughter than Avery's fear. He was trying not to offend Avery.

"Avery, stop being a pansy and hit the damn baseball!" Hayley yelled.

"Okay, okay!" Avery shouted back. Kol once again got ready to throw the ball. "If you hit me, I will beat you with this bat, Kol Mikaelson." She commented before his arm extended. He threw it at a normal, human speed. And Avery swung at it so hard that she spun after completely missing it. She immediately heard Hayley's laughter and then looked up to see Kol trying to contain his own. He was being very patient with her. Avery never played baseball or softball. Her whole life, all she did was swim either competitively or recreationally.

"You swung too soon." Kol pointed out.

"She also needs a better pitcher." Hayley chimed in as she picked up the ball. "Baseball is America's past time." She explained. "And last time I checked, you were British. Isn't that right old chap?" Hayley asked in a fake British accent. Avery let out a laugh and glanced at Kol who was now at her side. He rolled his eyes at Hayley's abuses. But then he stood close behind Avery. His chest was pressed against her back as his hands were covering her own. He put his mouth close to her ear.

"Now…keep your eye on the ball. And don't tense up." Kol instructed quietly. Avery nodded at his directions. She smirked at how cleverly he found a way to be intimate while playing a sport. Hayley knew they were ready and threw the ball as softly as possible without it being underhand. Kol gave Avery the cue when to swing and barely put in any of his own strength. The bat made contact and had a perfect lob in the air. It flew behind Hayley who clapped with delight at Avery's success.

Hayley moved in a blur through Avery's eyes as she went to fetch the ball. It had landed in the forest that surrounded the estate. Avery then caught a glance of Elijah. He took his hands out of his pockets and his face turned serious as he watched Hayley emerge from the forest. Avery followed his gaze and saw that all sense of fun had disappeared from her.

"Someone has been in the forest." Hayley stated. "A human, I could smell it." Elijah was at her side in a second. But he remained calm as he glanced around the perimeter of the yard. "Get inside the house, Hayley." He instructed calmly.

"They're gone. No one's been there for at least a day." She argued. Avery could tell she wasn't good at following orders. Kol had said she was quite stubborn. Avery looked up to see Kol had stepped closer to her with his gaze dangerous.

"Are you sure it wasn't Avery?" Kol asked Hayley.

But she immediately shook her head. "No, I know her scent. It wasn't anyone we know." Elijah and Kol seemed to take her word for it.

"We should never have allowed Rebekah to have her fun." Elijah said darkly. Kol didn't want to agree with his defensive brother. But he was right. Their sister had invited almost half the town to her celebration. There was no way the hunters hadn't heard of it. "We've given them a perfect opportunity." Elijah added.

"But how can they do anything drastic while there will be so many people here tomorrow night?" Avery questioned. But Elijah and Hayley were no longer listening to her. They seemed to be having a heated discussion a few yards away. She turned to look at Kol.

"It will only make it slightly more difficult to be discrete. We will expect them to stoop low. They won't have any boundaries." Kol noted calmly. "Clearly they don't if they were meddling around our own home."

"How do you know?" Avery wondered.

"Because we would do the same."

They both looked over to see Hayley rush back into the mansion. She looked annoyed and Elijah appeared frustrated. Avery didn't want to ask what was going on. And then a few seconds later, Elijah eventually went after her.

"He's trying to get her to go back to Chicago." Kol seemed to have waited for them to get far enough away to tell Avery, already knowing she would ask.

"Hayley seems perfectly capable of taking care of herself." Avery said confidently. Although, the young vampire always seemed playful and in control, Avery knew that she would be menacing when motivated.

Kol sighed and looked over her shoulder at the mansion. "Our family has brought horrible things onto her." Avery became confused by what he meant. He'd only told her the raw basics of Hayley becoming a vampire. He hadn't even told Avery about Elijah's relationship with her. Kol never really believed it was his story to tell. But neither Hayley nor Elijah would probably talk about it.

"Hayley was killed because I brought her back to Mystic Falls after Elijah made me promise I would keep her in Chicago. She came back and was killed by my mother's creation. If I hadn't made her drink my blood, she would've truly died." He glanced at Avery's horrified expression. "Elijah has always been protective of her. He went through extreme measures to keep her safe years before I was even awoken."

"What do you mean by extreme measures?" Avery asked. She wondered what that even entailed. Her mind couldn't think of anything drastic enough to make even Kol believe it was.

Kol continued to flip the bat in his hand as he spoke. "He compelled her to forget him. Hayley couldn't even recall meeting him. And she wasn't released of the compulsion until two years later, when my brother recognized what an overprotective fool he'd been." He threw the baseball in the air, hitting it with an inhuman strength. Avery's eyes glazed over in tears. It was the most tragic thing she had ever heard. She was absolutely speechless, never knowing the whole story between his older brother and Hayley.

After a minute or two of silence, Avery suddenly thought of something. "Have you ever compelled me?" Kol had mentioned compulsion only a few times. It was enough for her to understand it. But it wasn't until now that she'd wondered if he had ever used it on her.

Kol put down the bat, focusing only on her as his eyes locked with hers. "Not once. And I never will. Especially after knowing about them." His seriousness disappeared in a split second. He smirked then. "And your dear aunt has snuck vervain into just about everything you own. So I couldn't even if I wanted to." Kol added. Avery had a sad smile. Only he could still make her sadness momentarily disappear. Kol stepped closer and tilted his head down to her as he cupped her face in his hands. "It's going to be fine. None of that will happen to us. I won't let it." He kissed the top of her head. "I promise you."

"What the bloody hell are you two doing out here? In almost 24 hours, there will be an exquisite party taking place. But if I receive no assistance, it will only be a party." Rebekah snapped from the patio. Kol sighed and stepped away from Avery.

"I'm sure the party will be awful no matter what you do, dear sister." She glared at him and turned her attention to Avery, waiting for her response.

"We'll be there in a second, Rebekah." Avery said kindly. Rebekah seemed satisfied with that and marched back inside the mansion.

Kol sighed dramatically and grabbed Avery's wrist as she tried to walk toward the house. "Honestly, Avery, sometimes I wish you weren't so nice and polite." He pulled her into his hold, trapping her from moving any further.

Avery smiled at how her kindness could actually annoy. But it could only be Kol. "Will you please just cooperate and help out your sister?" She begged him. When she saw that her pleading was doing nothing, Avery kissed him slowly. "For me?" He still was not persuaded. She kissed even deeper. "What if I told you we have my house to ourselves since Meredith's at work tonight? Would you behave then?"

"Remind me never to underestimate you again, darling." Kol muttered. He couldn't deny how impressed he was with her tactics. She was quiet but lethal, knowing exactly how to get her way with him. Avery gave him a satisfied smile and quickly pecked him on the cheek before dragging him back toward the mansion.

Avery opened the door leading from the patio back inside. She gasped and let her jaw drop as she saw how much had changed. Gold and ivory hangings were draped from the second floor catwalk down to the marble floor of the great hall. Chandeliers filled with candles instead of light bulbs were hanging everywhere. Gold candelabras of every size were scattered about the place. All the furniture was rearranged so there was room to dance and socialize but still places to lounge. The mansion always looked beautiful and classic but now it had become royal.

"Rebekah…this looks…absolutely amazing." Avery stuttered, still stunned by the elegance that now surrounded her.

There were servants bustling about. Rebekah had a clipboard in her hand. Even parties meant business to her. "This?" She asked casually. "I'm hardly even half way there." The vampire sighed. Somehow she was yet to be impressed by her own work. "It's a masquerade ball. I'm already aware that Mystic Falls has attempted it once before. But I'm sure they made an absolute mess of it. Unlike them, we were actually present when the fad was originated. I added a little flair by making the dress code black and white only."

Kol looked around, unmoved. He had been to lavish parties for a millennium. It took a lot for him to be impressed by his sister's attempts at showing other's how to throw a ball. "A little dramatic isn't it, Bekah. Black and white, is that supposed to be good versus evil or some nonsense?" He asked his sister.

Rebekah smiled, proving he was spot on. "It wasn't my idea, it was all Nik. You know very well that he loves his theatrics." Of course the hybrid was keen on the idea of having a ball. To the shut down the idea would only show that he was worried about the hunters attempting to destroy their race.

Avery couldn't help but wonder. Out of the two families, which one was technically good and which was evil? In her eyes, the good was Kol. How could it not be? But she was unable to stop her mind from wondering who was really the good. Would others see it the same way as her?

"Avery, would you be sweetheart and go fetch Hayley? I need her artistic opinion." Rebekah asked quite nicely which caused Avery to hesitate before leaving the great hall. She moved through the hallways without any direction, unaware of where Hayley could be. But, as she reached a quieter area of the mansion, she saw a pool of light escaping a room. She'd never been in this part of the house before. Carefully, Avery walked toward it and soon heard quiet voices.

Avery stood in the doorway to find Klaus glancing at photo negatives and Hayley was next to him, waiting to hear his opinion. But Elijah was nowhere to be found. Apparently, they still needed space. Hayley glanced up at Avery's company and tried giving her a welcoming smile. "Hey, you can come in. Klaus promises not to bite." Her sarcastic comment earned her a glared from the hybrid.

"Um… Rebekah asked me to find you. She said she needed your artistic opinion." Avery laughed uncomfortably.

Hayley barely looked at Klaus before walking quickly to the door. "I better go find her before she kills one of the helping hands from her annoyance." She commented before leaving the room.

It was now only Klaus and Avery. She couldn't decide if it would be ruder to stay or go. They'd never had a civil or casual conversation and she doubted it would happen now. But Avery pushed herself to at least put an effort into finding the true Klaus and not just the monster she saw him as. She hadn't moved out of the doorway, standing awkwardly between the hallway and the art room.

"Did you do all of these?" Avery asked nervously as she dared to take a step further in. There were paintings and sketches everywhere. And on the table, where Klaus stood, was a pile of photographs.

"Or they're stolen." He said without looking up. "The photos are Hayley's."

"You stole a Monet and a Picasso?" She whispered in awe. Her amazement overshadowed her fear of Klaus for just a moment.

The comment caused Klaus to finally look at her. "You know art?" He questioned, trying not to show any admiration for her knowledge.

"Just a little. These pieces are famous for being stolen. Who knew it was an original vampire who took them?" Avery laughed lightly. She cautiously walked over to table where he stood; stopping at the pile of photographs that Klaus said belonged to Hayley. "Do you mind?" She asked nicely. He shrugged his shoulders and then gestured with his hand to go ahead.

Avery slowly flipped through the photos, becoming more impressed with each one. "These are amazing. I had no idea." She muttered more to herself.

"She's quite talented, isn't she? Don't tell her I let you see them. She's very private about it. My brother is the only one she shows her work to." Klaus explained.

"She shows it to you." Avery smirked as she pointed it out. She neatly put the photos back down when a painting caught her attention. The canvas was still wet with paint. Avery guessed he had just been working on the piece. It was a portrait of a girl with blonde hair and grey-blue eyes. Avery took a step toward it while Klaus watched her closely. "She's very beautiful." Avery whispered. Klaus seemed to appreciate the comment, but didn't show it enough for Avery to notice.

"Avery." She whipped around to see Kol standing in the doorway with Elijah. For some reason, she felt like she'd been caught doing something bad. She looked over at Klaus who watched her and ignored his brothers. "Rebekah and Hayley are in need of your help." Kol lied. But Avery still walked slowly out of the room. Her cheeks burned as she felt all three of the brothers' eyes on her.

As soon as she was out of sight, Kol turned his attention back to his brother. "What are you playing at?" He hissed at Klaus.

The hybrid smirked at the accusation. "What ever do you mean, love?" Klaus wasn't playing any game. He was trying to do what Hayley had advised: stop the threats and actually be a brother to his family. But it was easier said than done. And Klaus couldn't resist making his younger brother angry and paranoid about something that wasn't actually happening.

Kol advanced into the room until his face was only a centimeter away from Klaus'. "Stay away from her." He threatened. Klaus didn't take well to threats. He roughly grabbed the collar of Kol's shirt, ready to throw him into the wall. But their eldest brother interrupted before a full fight broke out.

"Enough!" Elijah's voice was calm but there was a sternness that caused both Klaus and Kol to look at him. "How pathetic is our family if we cannot protect ourselves because we are too busy fighting amongst each other?" He asked. Kol shoved Klaus off of him, only giving him one last glare before walking past Elijah to leave the room. Elijah watched Klaus closely, making sure he wouldn't do anything stupid. When he was sure Kol was out of listening range, he regarded Klaus. "I overheard what Hayley said to you. We both know what she stated was true. It's now up to you to do what is needed."

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**A) I updated within 24 hours**

**B) I wrote this in a day**

**REVIEW THAT SHIT! lol...please?**


	27. Chapter 27

**I could not be more thankful for all my lovely followers that review my chapters :)**

**So this chapter's fashion and music are vital. I put in a lot of thought for the dresses. Hopefully the links I'm trying to add actually work. If you're extremely curious about them and they don't work, feel free to say so in a review and I will send them to you in a private message.**

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**Fashion**

**_Avery_ **(White Gown- Donna Karan-Ashley Greene/Met Ball)

Dress

_**Hayley**_(Black Gown-Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall 2012/2013 - Model:Sigrid Agren)

Dress

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**Music**

**Are You Hurting the One You Love? - ****Florence + the Machine **(Getting Ready)

**Be What You Want - Robin Loxley & Oliver Jackson **(Ball)

**Three Wishes - The Pierces **(Slow Dance)

**With Light There Is Hope - ****Princess One Point Five **(Damon/Hayley)

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Avery rolled over in her sleep. Her light grey sheets were the only things covering her bare body. She awoke when her hand felt a piece of paper on the bed instead of Kol. Her eyes gradually opened and looked around to see if he was somewhere else in her room. But Kol was nowhere to be found. The paper that had woken her up was a neat envelope with her name written on it in fancy cursive and next to it laid a flower. Avery ripped open the letter.

_My family needed to speak with me before the party. I wish I didn't need to leave so abruptly. But I didn't want to wake you. I will see you tonight. _

_-Kol_

_ P.S. I left something in your closet. Rebekah wouldn't let it leave the house without her and Hayley's approval. I hope you like it. _

Avery realized she had a stupid grin on her face as she read the letter for a second time. She brought the flower to her nose to smell its loveliness. Taking her sheets with her, she skipped to her closet and opened to find a large box. Embedded on it was the name Donna Karan. Avery was familiar with the label enough to know anything inside the box must be quite expensive. Her fingers slowly took off the lid and removed the tissue paper. Inside was a white gown. Avery's eyes widened at its elegance. With a strict black and white dress code, Kol didn't have to think what color to give her. The dress had a slight trail. The glowing silk chiffon pleated from the bottom and then wrapped around a detailed white bustier. And on one shoulder was a small drape of fabric. Avery had never touched anything that felt more like a work of art than a piece of clothing.

Her cell phone started ringing on her nightstand, breaking Avery out of her daze. She stumbled a little as she rushed to answer it. "Hello?" She asked more than answered the phone. Being abruptly struck back to reality made her confused.

"I guess you're going to this masquerade ball tonight?" Bonnie asked on the other end of the phone.

Avery rubbed her face with a hand. "What do you mean you guess?"

Bonnie sighed. "Can we stop acting like you aren't dating an original vampire? And since you are, I know you got an invite to the bash tonight." Apparently Avery and Kol weren't as good at hiding secrets as they thought.

"How did you know?" Avery asked softly. At this point, she couldn't even be upset about everyone knowing her secret. Things were already getting messy. Maybe having her friends aware of the truth would only help now.

"Avery, you tried to fool a town full of vampires and then your friends which consists of a witch, a vampire, and Matt who is somewhat of a medium and a vampire hunter every so often. Did you really think we wouldn't figure it out?" Bonnie laughed at the end. It was too ridiculous to take very seriously.

Avery inhaled. "I guess you're right. It was pointless to even try." She glanced over at her closet. "But yes, I am going. Are you?" She didn't think Bonnie or any of their friends would attend. She knew they had all been invited, but they'd probably had enough of all the trouble the originals caused. Klaus had killed Elena and so had Rebekah. And Bonnie's entire life had changed because of the originals. Avery didn't blame them for disliking the family. It seemed the only one that hadn't destroyed their lives in some way was Kol. Maybe that was why her friends weren't as judgmental as she thought they'd be about her dating him.

"All of us are. Damon told Elena she wasn't allowed to go. But she seems set on it for some reason. I think she's trying to see it as a way to pretend like everything is fine. Which it's not, of course." Avery felt sorry for Bonnie with her stress she was never able to get rid of. "But the real problem is Caroline. She's not even supposed to be here. And one of the originals invited her…unless it was Hayley. She didn't say anything about going. So I hope she's smart enough to know that would be a horrible idea." Bonnie was starting to think out loud to her.

Avery then remembered the scent Hayley picked up when they were outside yesterday. "Don't let Caroline go; don't let any of vampires go." Avery declared. She didn't want to clarify but she knew Bonnie deserved an explanation. "I just don't know exactly how safe it will be for everyone."

"Well, good luck trying to tell any of them that they can't go." Bonnie added sarcastically. "But I was calling to see if you wanted to go together. I know Kol is probably your date and everything…but Elena is being baby-sat by Stefan and Damon. And then Caroline…."

Avery smiled. She would never forget how quickly Bonnie had become a friend to her since her arrival. "I'd love that." She answered right away.

"Great. I'll be over at 8 to help you get ready." Bonnie was clearly smiling as she said it.

"You say that like it's such a task. Am I really that much of a mess?" Avery laughed. But in all honesty, she probably would need help. Unlike Mystic Falls, her old town didn't have extravagant events every other damn weekend that required such extensive grooming.

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"What do you think?" Bonnie asked nervously as she turned Avery to face the mirror. She'd done Avery's hair in a relaxed up-do. It was curled so softly and in the most innocent way as it fell over one shoulder. Unlike last time she did Avery's make-up, she decided to go the opposite of the sensual smoky eye. Instead, Bonnie made her sapphire eyes blaze with white and silver eye make-up. Avery looked like an angel that had fallen from heaven itself.

"You have a gift, Bonnie." Avery said in amazement.

"You already knew I was a witch." She responded with a little sass, causing both of them to laugh. "I still can't believe that dress he got you. It's unbelievable. But you still don't have a mask." She pointed out sadly. "Wait, I have an idea!" Bonnie grabbed something out of her clutch. It was a thin and long streak of a very intricate and white piece of lace. The color perfectly matched Avery's dress. "This could be your mask." Bonnie explained. She tied it to over Avery's eyes, making sure not to mess her hair up. There were no slits for her eyes, but the material was so sheer, Avery could perfectly see through it. Bonnie was a brilliant.

"Ready?" Avery asked her. She looked down to finally take in her friend's entire outfit. Bonnie had chosen to wear a black gown instead of white. In a disturbing way, it represented the dark magic begging to expose itself. But it wasn't comprehended by either of the girls. The dress was silk and hugged Bonnie's body in the most flattering way. Her mask was made completely out of peacock feathers, complimenting the turquoise color of her eyes. They both looked beautiful in completely different ways.

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As Avery and Bonnie walked up the circular driveway, they saw how many cars were parked everywhere. There were already hundreds of people at the ball. Servants were moving around the property in their black and white uniforms. They were the only people she could see that weren't wearing masks.

When they walked inside, Avery was surprised at how much more had still changed since she'd been there yesterday. Rebekah was right when she said she'd hardly begun. There was no electrical lighting to be found anywhere. Only candles lit the party. It made the entire mansion feel more romantic and mysterious. Clearly, a family of original vampires had plenty of experience on how to throw a ball.

"Do you see anyone?" Avery asked Bonnie as a servant walked past with a tray filled with champagne. Bonnie kept going up on her tippy toes to try and see above the crowds of guests.

"It's a little hard to recognize people when they're wearing masks." Bonnie pointed out. But Avery ignored her as she searched for Kol through the crowd. But like Bonnie said, it was nearly impossible to recognize people when they were so far away. Once they were in talking distance, it was much easier.

"Looking for anyone in particular?" A voice said next to them. They glanced over to see Stefan Salvatore. He was wearing a basic black suit and tie with a white shirt. His mask was simple too. He didn't seem to want to stick out in any way. A pointless effort, Avery thought. She always thought Stefan was quite handsome. He would get attention no matter what he wore.

"Nope." Avery quickly answered his question. "Where's Elena?"

"I think my brother stole her for a dance." He didn't sound very happy about it. Avery didn't even bother trying to understand the relationship between the three of them. Matt had already told her that it was complicated. And he didn't really seem to be fond of talking about it either.

Avery kept trying to casually look around for Kol. Stefan smirked at how much she was attempted to hide her search. "Will you excuse me?" She said politely. Stefan nodded kindly, and continued to watch her as she moved through the crowd.

Avery had somehow ended up in the middle of the party. She stopped the pursuit for a moment as she caught up with her surroundings. "Find what you're looking for?" A voice whispered into her ear. She smirked, immediately recognizing his voice. Avery turned around to find Kol dressed in an all white suit that was tailored to perfection. The color was probably why she had such a hard time finding him. She'd just assumed he'd be wearing black. His mask perfectly fit his face. It almost looked as if it were made out of ivory and had gold Victorian detailing.

"Thank you for the dress. You didn't have to do that." Avery smiled shyly as she felt her cheeks flush slightly. Kol couldn't stop himself as finger traced the line of her jaw. Her blushing always mesmerized him. It was rarely something that occurred with vampires. And Avery's stuck out more to him than anyone else's.

"Oh, but I did." Kol responded immediately before brushing her lips with his own. His hand gently grasped the bottom of her chin, forbidding her to move away from his touch. Avery was taken aback by it all. Something had changed in him. He was acting different. Not in a bad way, just not how she expected. There was a sense of relief she felt between them and a manner of freedom.

Kol finally pulled away from the kiss when he believed Avery needed to breath. He grabbed her hand, twirling her into a circle. Then he gentle kissed her hand and bowed down with it still in his grasp. "May I have this dance?" He said charmingly. It would make any girl's heart race. Avery followed him as he slowly walked backward into the crowd. Most of the guests chose to wear black. So when Kol and Avery made it to the center of the dance floor, their white made them stand out as if they were under a spotlight.

A slow song conveniently started playing. Kol pulled Avery as close to his body as his perfect ballroom form would allow. She followed his lead easily; completely unaware of the steps he was taking. Her life seemed to have stopped the second she walked into the mansion. They were in a moment just between the two of them. All the people around them had disappeared. Both of their minds conveyed only each other.

"I believe now is the time when I should express how unconditionally beautiful you are." He informed her seriously as his eyes burned into her. His comment caused Avery to blush once again, only making it harder for him to tear his eyes away from her gaze.

"It's just the dress." She muttered as she looked down at the ground.

"No, it's you." Kol immediately countered.

"What's gotten into you?" Avery almost whispered. She didn't understand where all of this was coming from. Her confusion caused her to stop dancing without realizing it. Kol had always been self-confident and said what was on his mind. But never out of the privacy between the two of them.

"I don't quite know." He somewhat lied. The song had now ended and everyone, chatting with his or her partner before the next one began. Avery just watched, seeing if she could read what Kol was unable to say himself. But the task was an impossible one. They gradually walked away from the dance floor. She sighed, glancing around the room. Subsequently, her eyes immediately caught Hayley and Elijah. They stood at the edge of a hallway and had separated themselves from the rest of the ball. Hayley was wearing a slim black couture gown with a long slit that uncovered her model length legs. There were long sleeves that were completely transparent with their black lace material. They worked their way up to the straight across neckline that was made of the same fabric. The bodice's translucent lace would completely expose her body if it weren't for the opaque blackness that worked its way around the bodice like branches. The entire ensemble was complete with a thin, black, leather belt that cinched her waist. The beauty of the ensemble wasn't surprising. Hayley was always dressed to the nines. No matter where they were, she always seemed to be walking right off the runway.

As soon as Avery was done taking in the masterpiece that was Hayley's dress, she realized her and Elijah seemed to be fighting somewhat. Hayley was talking aggressively with her hands, as if she were trying to defend something. Elijah kept shaking his head calmly and talking ever so often. Avery was about to ask Kol if he could hear what they were saying. But Hayley stopped and kissed Elijah quickly as if she were trying to reassure him. After saying one last thing, she swiftly walked away. Elijah sighed with what seemed like worry. Kol muttered something about getting Avery a drink. She nodded quickly. Hayley was walking toward Avery now and spotted her when she was about a yard away.

"Everything alright?" Avery asked her carefully.

"Yes. Elijah is being his overprotective self like always." Hayley snapped in annoyance. She towered over Avery while she wore platform heels. "I can take care of myself just fine. But Elijah will be Elijah."

"I doubt he thinks you can't take care of yourself. Elijah's only worried because he loves you." Avery stated softly. Hayley seemed to snap out of her anger and looked down at her with a small smile.

"I know he does. I just wish he wouldn't worry about me so much."

"You look absolutely gorgeous, by the way." Avery pointed out casually, trying to lighten Hayley's mood. Along with the stunning dress, her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, showing her high cheekbones even more than usual.

Hayley smiled at the compliment. Even with her beauty, she was always the most modest girl Avery had ever met. Hayley measured her up and down. "You should talk. I don't think I could ever pull off white like that. You look amazing." She grabbed Avery's hand and made her do a spin to get the full effect. "Kol chose well." Hayley laughed.

"You mean you and Rebekah didn't pick it out?" Avery asked. A waiter stopped in front of both of them, his silver tray full of tall glasses that were filled with the finest champagne. He discretely checked out both girls, but they were completely oblivious. Hayley grabbed one of the drinks.

"Of course we didn't pick it out. I only applauded him for his great taste." Hayley laughed. After the waiter had moved on, Hayley's mood darkened a little. She took a step closer to Avery and lowered her voice. "Be aware of your surroundings tonight, Avery. It may be paranoid. But Elijah was right when he said this was a perfect opportunity for the hunters to attack." It wasn't meant to scare her; it was only so she was prepared. She stepped back and gave Avery a reassuring smile.

Elijah then came out of nowhere. He nodded politely at Avery before regarding Hayley, who was eyeing him adversely. He was dressed in all black: suit, shirt, and bowtie. His hair was parted and styled slick. He looked even more classically handsome than usual. But Hayley still seemed rather annoyed with him.

"May I steal her?" He asked Avery courteously. She smiled and nodded immediately; unaware of how she could ever refuse any request from him. He smiled graciously at her and offered Hayley his hand. She glanced down at it, refusing to take it. But after a moment of hesitation, she finally put down her glass of champagne and took his hand. Avery watched them as Elijah whispered something into Hayley's air, as they swayed gracefully to the slow music. Hayley threw her head back, laughing. It seemed to be impossible for them to be upset with one another for very long. Avery smiled at them, but it quickly faded when she felt someone standing beside her that she knew wasn't Kol.

"I heard there was quite a cat fight between her and Kol." Avery glanced over, already knowing it was Damon from his voice. He was dressed in a white suit and black pants. His mask was quite small but it made his ice blue eyes stick out more than usual.

"And what do you know about that?" She asked him slightly annoyed. Ever since he'd told her about Hayley for the first time, she hadn't become his biggest fan. She knew he did it to try and tear her and Kol apart, even though he acted as if he didn't care about their relationship.

"Not a whole lot. I just knew there was a scuffle between the two gals. I'm somewhat curious. Was Hayley jealous because you have all of his attention now?" Damon smirked, entertained by his disdain.

Avery finally looked away from Hayley and Elijah. "If you must know, it was because Kol accused her of killing my family." Her statement completely wiped Damon's smirk off his face. Then he appeared to be lost in his inner thoughts. If he hadn't annoyed her so much, Avery might be more curious as to what had changed his demeanor so much. But she picked up the end of her dress, deciding she didn't want to hear any more from him. "Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence, Damon." She smiled at him bitterly before walking away.

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**Ok so I put A LOT of thought into this chapter so I would love to hear what all of you thought. :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**Ok. I'm exhausted from work. So I apologize if I missed any grammar/spelling errors during my read through. Blah. I don't understand how I'm even alive right now.**

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Avery gracefully made her way through the crowds just to get away from Damon. She was edging away from the main area of the party, hoping Kol would be able to find her easier that way. The music was getting faster and lively. The energy at the party was changing. While everyone became more enthusiastic, Avery stood in the doorway of another room. She looked out into the party with interest. It was almost like she was invisible to everyone else.

A girl, just entering the great hall, caught Avery's attention. She was beautiful and blonde, wearing a white glittery gown. It seemed as if she was trying to be discreet. It took a moment for Avery to register that it was Caroline Forbes. Even after all of her friends' pleads, Caroline still disobeyed them and decided to come to the ball anyway. Avery wondered what it was that drew the vampire. She didn't understand why Caroline had such motivation to attend the ball. Was it possible she felt something more for Klaus than anyone believed? Avery shook her head, telling herself that it wasn't important right now. What mattered was that she wouldn't be safe in Mystic Falls if anyone saw her and talked enough for Sheriff Phillips and his family to hear about it.

Avery was about to warn her to leave when someone wrapped a hand over her mouth, dragging her into the empty room she had just been standing next to. She tried to make any noise or movement that would catch someone's attention. But everyone was preoccupied and there were too many guests for her absence to be noted. The door was immediately slammed shut. Avery tried to look around, but the room was completely black. The only light was a sliver of moonlight coming in from the windows. She was pinned to a wall, finally able to face her captor.

"What the hell are you doing here, Ben?" Avery shouted as soon as his hand was removed from her mouth.

"I needed to talk to you." Sheriff Phillips said calmly. But he wasn't wearing his uniform. Instead, he was dressed in black jeans, dark boots, and a black sweatshirt with which he had the hood up. He looked so much younger, not like the sheriff of a small town. Avery tried to remember if there was any other time when she'd seen him out of uniform.

"Are you suicidal? You shouldn't be here. There is a mansion full of vampires and werewolves who want to kill you!" She warned. Even after the stunt he pulled last time, she still didn't want to see him hurt.

"You need to stay away from the original family." He stated roughly. "Your association will only cause you pain. I don't want to see you get hurt because you are stuck in the middle of this fight."

Avery shoved him off of her, annoyed by the lack of space between them. "Save it. I don't want to hear anything you have to say to me. I think it's time for you to go." She started walking toward the door. "I need to find Kol." She informed him, trying to bring him up to remind Sheriff Phillips that he was the one she loved.

"Good luck with that." He muttered darkly. Avery could immediately tell by the way he said it that there was a double meaning. Her heart started racing when she realized what was going on.

"What did you do?" She asked calmly. But he only smiled gloomily. "What did you do?" Avery repeated even louder as she shoved him. He wasn't going to answer her though. Her breathing was heavy now as she tried to think. As a sudden realization hit, she looked up at him. "This was all part of a trap. You grabbed me so he would come looking for me." She lurched for the door handle. He didn't bother going after her. But it didn't matter. The plan was through.

Avery felt like she was hyperventilating. The dress was now becoming a nuisance as she tried to fight her way through the masses. As she maneuvered through people, her eyes desperately searched for someone who could help. A minute later, they found Elijah who was walking away from her.

"Elijah! Elijah!" She shouted as she rushed in his direction. A human wouldn't be able to catch her yelling through the people and music. But he immediately stopped walking and looked right at her. He could tell just from her voice alone that something was wrong. Elijah was at her side in a split second. There were so many people that he didn't have to hide his vampire abilities.

"Something's happened to Kol. Sheriff Phillips is here. They tried to lure him by making it seem like they'd taken me." Avery was gasping for air as she explained the best she could.

"Stay here." He stated calmly.  
But Avery wouldn't agree to it. "No. I have to help you find him." She could tell that he was getting ready to argue. "They won't hurt me, Elijah." Ben Phillips may have lost his way, but it didn't seem like he or any of his family would harm a human. They were after the supernatural, not their own kind. Finally, Elijah nodded his head, understanding that he wouldn't be able to change her mind.

The two of them walked to an empty hallway. Usually Elijah would use his hearing to find Kol's location. But with the music and conversation, mellowed sounds were impossible to pick up. Avery started to lose hope. The mansion was huge; there were so many rooms they could be hiding in. She had already lost track of the time since she had last seen him. They were probably too late. Avery wouldn't let herself think of what could have happened to him. What if they did find a way to kill an original? Was that it? Was Kol already dead?

But Elijah looked like he had thought of something suddenly. He started walking with a purpose through the hallways. Any guests would be too afraid of forgetting how to get back to the party to be so deep in the house. But Matt came out of nowhere. He saw the panic in Avery's expression right away. She grabbed him before he could ask any questions. "Go find Rebekah and Klaus. Grab the Salvatores. Just get help!" He could tell the task was dire and nodded before running away. Avery tried to keep up with Elijah's pace as she recognized he was heading toward an exit that lead to the outside estate. They were going in toward the place Hayley had smelled the scent. That was what Elijah had remembered. Whoever had been spying was probably trying to figure out how much visual anyone inside would have of that part of the yard. There were glass doors that lead to the area.

They were headed toward glass doors that lead to the area. Avery was somewhat hopeful when she saw shadows moving in the darkness. Someone had cut the outdoor lights. The beams from the party were the only things that made her able to see anything. Elijah sped his pace, and opened the door. Avery gasped when she saw Kol fighting half a dozen men. They were all dressed in black, making it easier to spot him. Their hoods were up and Avery saw that all of them had silver crosses on that shined in the moonlight

Kol was outnumbered, which shouldn't matter when it was an original against humans. But they seemed to be trained on how to fight a vampire and were armed with weapons Avery had never even seen before. Elijah had left her side to aid Kol, but more people had appeared out of nowhere. Avery realized they were coming from the surrounding forest. Just as she started thinking of a way to help, Kol gasped when a dagger was thrust into his heart. His body slowly started shutting down. He fell to his knees and collapsed to the ground, completely lifeless.

"No, no, no." Avery whispered as she felt hot tears already streaming down her cheeks. The men changed their attention to Elijah now. And she took advantage of it as she ran to Kol's side. His skin had turned a disturbing grey and veins stuck out strangely across his skin. Avery kept trying to tell herself he wasn't really dead. But he was so lifeless; she couldn't help but doubt the hope. She was too in shock to think of taking out the dagger. And a part of her was too scared that it wasn't what she was supposed to do. Avery's eyes raced across the scene, trying to put together what to do. Elijah was fighting off man after man at blurring speed. But Avery didn't believe he could keep it up much longer. She should try and find people to help.

But just as she was about to stand up and regretfully leave Kol's side, she felt a brush of wind. The dagger in Kol's chest had been removed. Avery's eyes shot up in just enough time to see Hayley hurl it in Elijah's direction. He had been momentarily distracted and the dagger drove straight into one of Elijah's attacker's chests as his back was turned. The man had another dagger in his hand, which was already extended and prepared to drive it into Elijah's chest. But he groaned in pain as the dagger stabbed his heart, causing him to fall to his death. For a brief moment, Elijah looked down at the body, a little stunned.

Avery looked back at Hayley to see her ripping off her mask. She raced over to Elijah's aid, killing two men instantly by grabbing both daggers in her hand and slicing their throats. Between her and Elijah, the rest of the hunters were killed in minutes. Just as Elijah ripped out the heart of the last assailant, Rebekah and Klaus rushed out the door onto the yard. A few steps behind, was the rest of the group. The Salvatores, Elena, Bonnie, Matt, Caroline, and Jeremy looked around, expecting more danger to come at any moment.

Hayley ignored all of them, rushing back to Avery's side. "Are you okay?" She asked quickly. There had been no time to see when she'd first arrived on the scene.

Avery shook her head as tears continued to fall. She couldn't stop them. The trauma and fear was forcing emotions on her that she didn't want to deal with. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why hasn't he woken up?" Her voice shook as she asked.

"Avery, he will be fine. I promise. It just takes awhile for him to recover." Hayley explained carefully. She was trying to handle Avery's hysterics and shock with ease. Avery nodded, trusting what Hayley said. Then Matt appeared at her side. She hardly felt him gently put his suit jacket over her shoulders because her thoughts were so scattered and worried. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably and she didn't even notice.

"Come on, Avery. I'll take you home." Matt said softly.

But Avery immediately protested and shook her head. "No, I'm not leaving him. I have to stay." She gasped. Matt was torn on what to do. He glanced at Hayley who just nodded, telling him she would take care of her if she stayed. He stepped away, seeing that he was clearly not wanted. As he walked toward the door, Elena muttered something about him taking Jeremy home with her. Jeremy was about to protest but knew they would all be on the same page eventually.

Klaus grabbed one of the daggers from Hayley's hand. It was covered in blood. "I thought all of them were thrown at sea just like the stake." Hayley said darkly as she watched him observe it. A part of her wondered if he had hid them, keeping them around to threaten his siblings with. The prediction was the reason she pointed her anger at him.

"We did." Klaus said calmly. "These are different. They've created their own." He was somewhat stunned by it, never even considering the possibility. But he was the original hybrid and therefore they wouldn't work on them.

"This was their great plan? Dagger all four of you and then what, throw you in the ocean too?" Damon chimed in. He sounded unimpressed. All the talk of fearing this family and their plan was no better than any of his.

"It's too simple." Elijah stated. Avery looked down at his hands to see they were covered in blood. She would never be able to rid the images of him ripping out heart after heart and then tossing them to the ground as if they were nothing.

"If they were able to make those, who knows how many more they have." Hayley pointed out. Avery noticed how closely Elijah was watching her. It seemed as if he felt like another hunter would come out of the darkness, taking her away from him forever. But if Hayley hadn't come along, Elijah might be in the same state as his younger brother was now.

"What if that was just the first part?" Avery whispered. Everyone's attention focused on her. "They were going to dagger all of you, causing you to become desiccated and completely defenseless. Then they would actually kill you." The group was surprised by Avery's thoughts. She could be right.

"But with what?" Hayley asked the question everyone was thinking.

Avery hadn't figured out that part yet. And she didn't have the strength to dwell on it. Her eyes went back to Kol, who was still lost in between life and death. Hayley read the concern on her face. "They'll move him inside. Come on, let's get you upstairs." Hayley instructed softly as she gently helped Avery up.

"Get everyone out of here." Klaus instructed Rebekah. The rest of the group was preparing to leave. There was nothing else to do tonight. Avery glanced over to see Caroline and Klaus watching each other. They were impossible to read. And she didn't even know if she could call it a moment. But it was over before she could distinguish anything from it. Caroline quickly turned and followed her friends back into the mansion to leave the ball.

Hayley led Avery not far behind them, and led her to one of the more hidden staircases. Avery heard the music stop and then a fire alarm of some sort start. She could hear the slight panic as people interpreted it as a sign to leave. Rebekah must have set it off on purpose.

* * *

Kol shot up right. There was no peaceful way to wake up from the dagger. It was like coming up for air after nearly drowning. He gasped and then slowly calmed when he realized he was in his bedroom. The hunters clearly hadn't succeeded with their plan. Kol then heard her heartbeat, and glanced to the side. Avery was asleep on the bed next to him. She was no longer wearing her gown. An oversized sweatshirt and shorts were in its place. Her hair was now was cascaded across the bed in midnight curls from being in the fancy up-do earlier.

"She wouldn't leave your side the whole night." Kol turned his head to see Hayley leaning in the doorway. She'd must have heard him wake up from across the hall. "She said she didn't want you to wake up alone." Hayley added as she tossed him a blood bag. He caught it easily.

"What happened?" Kol asked softly, making sure not to wake her. But he was actually asking if everyone was all right without showing that he cared.

"Everyone is fine. Elijah and Avery came out just as you were daggered. I found all of you a minute later. These weren't just any humans, Kol. They're trained and they know how to fight vampires. I've never seen anyone last so long against our kind. They need to be taken seriously." Hayley urged. She hoped now that everyone had seen the damage the hunters could cause, the originals would start taking the danger seriously. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt.

"They trapped me at a moment of weakness. I was caught off guard." Kol growled. He refused to agree that their new enemy was a true threat.

Hayley sighed. "Well, maybe you should take it more seriously, Kol." She glanced at Avery who was still breathing heavily. "There are people who care about you…care if you get hurt. And I'm not just talking about her." Hayley was mature but sometimes she was just like him and Klaus: unable to tell people that she cared about them. Hayley had been just as scared as Avery; she only handled it differently.

Kol watched her carefully before she disappeared from the doorway. He glanced over at Avery who was lost in her sleep and pulled the blanket over her. She stirred a little. Gradually, her body signaled for her to wake up. Her eyes flickered open and immediately landed on Kol's. She instantly sat up at the sight of him finally being awake.

"You're okay." Avery gasped quietly. Her hand cupped his face, proving to her that he was all right. Kol grabbed it and held onto it. Avery quickly hugged him, holding on as tightly as she could. He froze for a second, not prepared for such a reaction. But then he embraced the contact. No one had ever been there for him when he awoke from being daggered. It never occurred to him how sad that was until she made sure it didn't happen.

"Avery, I'm fine." He whispered in her ear as she finally pulled away.

"I know. I was just really scared." She stated. "I don't ever want to see you that way again. I kept thinking you were dead, no matter how many times I told myself that you would wake up. It was horrible." Her voice was quiet and uneven as she was lost in her thoughts at how terrifying the night had become.

"Shh." Kol calmed her as he pulled her toward him. Avery gently laid her head on his shoulder and he held her close. "Just go to sleep." He ordered softly.

"You need to be more careful, Kol." She muttered faintly. "I can't lose you. I don't think I could do that again." He closed his eyes at her words. But she couldn't see it as her head rested against his shoulder. There had never been anyone in his life that would be so destroyed by his death. He suddenly realized that this was what it felt like to be loved.

"I won't leave you." He promised her. "I can't… not after everything. You've given me an actual reason to stay alive." Before her, he just wandered through immorality with no purpose at all. Then Kol thought about someone harming Avery to get to him now that the hunters' plan hadn't worked. "Nothing is going to happen to you." The very idea made his body tense.

Kol realized he wasn't actually saying what he wanted. If he couldn't keep all the promises he was making to her, he should at least tell her what she deserved to know. But he couldn't help but hesitated. His voice lowered and was filled with sincerity. "I love you, Avery." It lingered in the air, both of them absorbing the words. "And that's why I'm going to do everything in my power to keep anyone from destroying that. You're not going to lose me." He didn't need to hear her say it back. Everything she had already done for him was enough. But there was a beat of silence after Kol said he loved her. With her steady breathing, he thought maybe she had fallen asleep.

"I love you too, Kol." Avery sighed. It was if she was relieved that they didn't have to keep it to themselves any longer. She'd already known her feelings for him. But if they learned anything from tonight, it was that they couldn't live in fear. In this new world, nothing was promised or guaranteed. The only thing they were sure of was their love for one another. It was what they needed to hold on to.

* * *

**Gah. so tired. review. can't think. whatever.**


	29. Chapter 29

**IM SO SO SO SO SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS TOOK ME TO PUT UP! My job has had me working this crazy sale from morning until close. I literally eat, work, and then go to sleep. I have had no time to write. So i must apologize deeply._ Please don't hate me._**

**Music  
**

**Tristes Apprêts, Pâles Flambeaux - Jean Philippe Rameau / W. Christie **(Music)

**Lose Your Soul - Dead Man's Bones **(Klaus/Hayley)

**Bitter Sweet - Butterfly Boucher **(Kol/Avery)

* * *

Avery woke up to see Kol in jeans, but he had yet to find a shirt. She didn't mind it, to say the least. "Where are you going?" Her voice was raspy and not prepared to talk yet. She rubbed her eyes since they were still having trouble focusing. Kol glanced at her and the completely stopped what he was doing. Avery looked adorable and so obliviously. Kol was at the bed in a flicker.

His fists were placed on either side of her hips as he leaned down. "Did I say good morning to you?" He questioned before placing a kiss on her lips.

Avery giggled at the question and shook her head. "Good morning."

"To answer your question, Elijah and I have to dispose of the bodies." Elijah had been too concerned with Hayley to bother last night. And Kol had been desiccated for the entire night. Avery's smiled faltered a bit. She never expected to hear such a sentence in her lifetime. Kol caught the wane of emotion. "I shouldn't have told you that." He muttered to himself.

But Avery shook her and attempted to go back to her happy-go-lucky self. "No. No, it's fine. What you said just caught me off guard." She sighed and looked up at him. She didn't want him to go. After last night, she didn't want to take her eyes off him for a second. Avery was scared something horrible would happen to him the moment he left her side.

"Don't leave." Kol instructed. "I won't be long."

Avery nodded seriously. "Be careful." She commanded, believing that hunters were just waiting for him to be out in the open to kill him. But Kol only smirked at her concern. He gave her one more kiss before disappearing from the room.

Avery sighed at the empty room. She glanced at the clock to see it was already the afternoon. It was bizarre how she rarely had to check in with Meredith. Her aunt's schedule was so weird, she couldn't even notice when Avery didn't come home. When Avery was gone in the morning, Meredith just assumed she'd already left the house for the day. Then she wondered if Meredith knew about the attack. She was a part of the secret council, which wasn't exactly a secret because of Avery's friends. _Some secret council,_ she thought.

Avery couldn't just stay in Kol's bed all day, even if he liked the idea. She jumped onto the floor and glanced around. Her fancy dress still lay in a heap on the wood floor. Avery sighed at it, remembering how the night went from so amazing to horrifying in minutes. She still wore Kol's sweatshirt and shorts from last night, not having anything else to wear. Technically, she was stranded at the mansion since Bonnie had been her ride to the ball. But Avery didn't really see it that way.

But then, her attention changed from the dress to music being played. It was opera and being played loud enough for Avery to hear it coming all the way from downstairs. It couldn't be Elijah; he went with Kol. And Avery knew Hayley wouldn't be listening to such music.

The curiosity drew her downstairs. Her bare feet skimmed across the marble tiles. Avery realized it was coming from Klaus' art room. She stopped dead in the dark and narrow hallway. Now that she knew where it was coming from, she wasn't sure if she wanted to investigate any further. But something inside of her wanted to get over the fear of Klaus. She was sick of tiptoeing around him. And if Hayley could be friends with the hybrid, then there had to be something still deep within that kept him from completely being a monster.

Avery pushed herself further down the hall until she hovered outside the door. There was a slight crack of light coming through, with the door not being fully closed. She took in a deep breath, not knowing what to expect. But just before she pushed it, the door was thrown open. Klaus stood in the doorway, emotionless.

"Can I help you?" He asked sarcastically.

All courage Avery had was now gone. "I just heard the music. I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were busy." As soon as the last word was out of her mouth, Klaus had already turned away and walked back into the room. But he pushed the door open wider. Avery didn't know if it was an invitation to come in or not. After a moment of awkward hesitation, she walked slowly into the room. Just like the other times she'd found Klaus in this room, he was working on some piece of art. Now a large canvas was spread across the length of a wall.

Avery knew he wouldn't say anything, so she forced herself to start the conversation. "Why didn't you go with Kol and Elijah?" She had to clear her throat before speaking. Instead of sitting down, she stood in the middle of the room.

"I don't clean up messes." Klaus responded as he searched through a pile of paintbrushes. No matter what she said, he always looked bored with being forced to have a conversation with her.

"Oh right. You have your little minions." She muttered to herself and then held her breath when she realized he'd be able to hear it perfectly. But when she looked up, Klaus was smirking at her.

"I'm sure my brother has explained how much of a monster I am. Then I assume he told you to stay away from me." He said casually as he watched Avery freeze. She couldn't find the effort to lie. "I'm no fool, Avery." It was the first time he'd ever said her name. "I hear your heartbeat race whenever you see me, your body tenses up, and your usual quietness changes to stoic. You're scared of me."

Avery didn't know what made her do it, but she found herself nodding her head slowly. There was no longer a point in trying to hide it. They both knew it was true. Then her eyes narrowed, half expecting him to say that her fear was unnecessary. But Klaus turned back to his painting. He would never say such things.

"So what did you do to my brother?" Klaus immediately changed the subject. But Avery had no idea what he meant by the question. He glanced back at her, wondering why she hadn't answered. Once again, he smirked at her confusion. "Kol is sadistic, infuriating, and arrogant. He used to feed on half a dozen humans a day…more if he was bored. He loved the attention it brought him." He stopped painting and faced Avery. "What ever did you do to my little brother?" But she only glared, knowing exactly what he was doing.

"Maybe you don't see Kol for what he truly is just like people don't see you the way you truly are. I didn't do anything to him. I just learned who he was, not how everyone else did…including his family." Avery added darkly. Her confidence caught Klaus' attention once again. He put down his paintbrushes and crossed his arms. Slowly, he moved closer to Avery until he was a foot away. She cursed herself for not being able to control the speed of her heart as she waited.

"My brother will always be what he is. Do you honestly believe he won't get bored with you? His interest in sparkly things never lasts long. Any dream you had of living happily together forever is a foolish one." Klaus always knew how to hit other's weak spots. If it wasn't with killing people they cared about, it was with words, which ripped open cuts that were just about to heal. Avery couldn't stop her eyes from watering with what he said.

"Is it honestly so hard for you to see other's happy? Do you have to try and ruin all of it just because you're incapable of finding your own?" She didn't know where all of it was coming from. But a part of her was glad she fought back.

Except Klaus didn't take it lightly. It was if he had been waiting for this moment. He wanted an excuse to do something stupid. Not that he really needed one. Klaus raced forward and pinned Avery against the wall. The mansion shook in protest at the inhuman strength.

"Klaus!" Someone shouted. Both Avery and him glanced at the doorway to see Hayley looking calmly at him. She wore a razorback tank and running shorts, her hair up into a tight ponytail. She had just got done running and heard the noise as soon as she walked in. "What is the matter with you?" Hayley muttered. Klaus let go of Avery slowly. As soon as his hands were off her shoulders, he acted as if nothing had happened. But Hayley refused to let him ignore his outburst.

"Is this about Caroline?" She questioned. It was the only thing Hayley could think of that would cause him to lash out on Avery for no reason. But Klaus whipped his head around as soon as he heard Caroline's name said. Whatever fire had been diminished was now blazing once again. He latched his hand around Hayley's throat, knocking her off her feet and onto the hard floor. Avery jumped and gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. She didn't expect Klaus to ever do such a thing.

Hayley's eyes turned vampire and her fangs extended as she tried to shove Klaus off of her. But he had a thousand years on her. She barely got half a foot off the ground before he slammed her back down. "Never speak her name to me again." He hissed. Avery was barely able to catch it from the other side of the room.

"What are you going to do, Klaus? Kill me?" Hayley's stubbornness chose the worst words for him. Her test only made him angrier. But she refused to let him get away with his behavior. Klaus gradually tightened his grip. Hayley's face started to turn red from the choking and her hands scratched at his grip. Avery's eyes widened with horror. She thought maybe he would stop and show that he was only proving his point. But his grip never loosened.

"Stop it! You're hurting her!" Avery shouted. She knew trying to say anything would be useless. There was so much panic that she didn't even realize Klaus couldn't truly kill Hayley merely by choking her. But Klaus still hadn't diverted his attention to her. Then Avery tried to shove her way in between the two, hoping to pull him out of his dark trance. But he only shoved her away. The force was so strong that she stumbled and slammed her head on the hard wood floor.

Then, out of nowhere, Elijah ripped Klaus off of Hayley. And Kol was at Avery's side, looking into her eyes. It took a moment for her to realize Kol was speaking as he helped her off the ground. She shook her head to actually comprehend what was going on. It wasn't hitting her head that made her confused, it was how quickly everything had become so strange. Avery honestly couldn't even predict what would have happened if the two of them hadn't showed up.

"What did he do?" Kol growled. He didn't want to ask her if she was all right. It didn't matter. No matter what she said, he would never think it was all right. All he could contemplate was that Klaus laid a hand on her. Avery didn't want to make the situation worse so she ignored his question. Instead, she looked over to see Hayley trying to shove herself away from Elijah to get to Klaus.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Hayley yelled at him while Elijah's arms were holding onto her tightly. "First you shove Avery against the wall and then you try to suffocate me? When something is bothering you, you decide to take it out on the people who care the most about you…real fucking mature." She finally shoved out of Elijah's grip and stormed out of the room. He watched her leave before glaring at his brother. Had he completely lost his mind?

Klaus smirked at Elijah. He put his hands out to the side and tilted his head. "Go on, Elijah. Threaten me. Say if I touch her again, you'll kill me." Avery had to peek around Kol, who was standing between her and them, in order to see. Elijah looked like he actually had to put an effort into composing himself. Avery kept looking between him and Klaus, waiting for a fight to break out. She knew Kol wouldn't stop it if it started. But after what seemed like minutes, Elijah exited the room too. That was when Klaus brought his attention to them.

"And you…" He addressed Kol. "Let's see that short temper of yours. Or have you grown weak from love with a pitiable human?" He waited, but Kol didn't move. Avery gently grabbed his arm as he still stood protectively in front of her. She didn't want this to get any worse. "Nothing?" Klaus hummed. "Perhaps, chivalry really is dead then." Klaus smiled.

Avery pulled at Kol's arm again. "Kol, please, can you take me home?" She was saying anything to get him out of this insane mansion. Not only was there a family of hunters, but his own family couldn't even stick together. Klaus didn't know how to change and instead, took out his frustration on all of them. Kol finally grabbed Avery's hand and dragged her out of the room. He was walking too fast for her to keep up as they headed toward the front door. His black Ferrari was sitting in the circular driveway.

As Kol flew through the streets, Avery couldn't help but think he was mad at her. He hadn't said a word. Perhaps its because she allowed herself to even be in the same room as Klaus without Kol there too. She just figured she should leave him be. Clearly, Klaus always brought out the worst in everyone. And Kol's worst was more terrifying to Avery than anything else. Not because she was scared of him. She was scared of the edge it would push him over.

Once they were in her driveway, Avery waited for him to finally speak. But he only looked annoyed at having to wait for her to get out of the car. She was about to open the door, her hand lingering over the handle. But something told her that she needed to say something, talk to him, anything that was different than leaving with unspoken thoughts.

"Are you mad at me or something? I don't get it." She said quickly.

Kol looked straight out the window. His chin jutted out, making him seem more annoyed and frustrated than usual. But it was the first time he seemed that way because of her. "Meredith is waiting for you inside." He stated darkly, still refusing to look at her.

"Since when do you give a fuck about Meredith?" Avery snapped. She was breathing heavily with her rage. Now she'd realized there was no way this conversation was going to end well. Silence filled the car. Kol traced the frame of the steering wheel. But she knew he couldn't stay quiet forever.

"My brother is right." Kol stated evenly.

Avery's breath caught in her throat. "What brother?" She asked, even though she knew he spoke of Klaus. But she just didn't want to believe it.

"You've changed me." He continued. "I'm sick of pretending to be something I'm not." Kol finally stared at her, trying to burn his hurtful words into her heart. "You…you're boring me." And it worked. Tears slid down Avery's cheeks. She didn't even bother to rub them away. "What did you expect? Did you honestly think this would last forever?" He condescended.

"I know what you're doing." Avery sobbed. "You're pushing me away. Kol, I can tell that you're doing this because you're scared. So…you don't have to, because I already know." She still tried to believe he wasn't telling the truth. But her strength was slowly decreasing. "We can get through this together. Whatever problems you think this will fix, it's not going to help."

"You're wrong. I'm done playing this game. It was only mildly interesting. But it's over now; all the fun is gone. Now I have a family of hunters to entertain me." Kol's eyes were cold. He tried to so hard to make sure that she didn't read them like she always could. Now he understood what Elijah was thinking when he compelled Hayley. Because Kol realized he might have done the same if Avery wasn't on vervain. It was easier that way. He took all the pain while she became ignorant to the supernatural problems just like before.

"And what about last night?" She challenged as she finally wiped away some of the tears. "Everything you told me, what was that? You said…you said you loved me." She stuttered. Everything she whispered now was out of desperation. But the fact that Kol did say he loved her last night was the only thing keeping her from getting out of the car right then. Avery wasn't going to leave without a fight.

There was a beat of silence. For that second, Avery thought she had proved to both of them that this wasn't how it was supposed to end. But Kol was more stubborn than she realized. He took in a deep breath and stared darkly at her once more. "_That_ was the biggest game of all."

Avery had lost all hope. He had won. She no longer believed he was lying. Instead, she trusted everything he said now. Kol never loved her and he never would. She hated herself for falling for it again. Avery faced forward and nodded to herself before opening the car door. There was nothing left to say.

* * *

**Once again, SO SO SORRY. **


	30. Chapter 30

**Ok so...wow. Got some real mixed reviews. A lot of people are pretty pissed about how long it took to put this chapter up. I _WILL_ apologize for the how long it took. But I can't help that my schedule is really crazy right now. Some people really bitched about it and I got a little annoyed. But then I realized I'm kind of lucky to have people reading this that care about the story so much that they get upset. So I guess I'm saying thank you in a weird way...and sorry?**

* * *

An incessant doorbell ringing awaked Avery. She shoved the pillow over her head, trying to ignore it. But whoever was repeatedly pressing the button was trying to get her attention and knew she would ignore it the best she could. Avery finally growled and ripped the covers off her body. She stumbled over piles of stuff across her wood floor. Since all the blinds were shut, the room was completely black.

Avery finally unbolted the lock and opened the door. Hayley stood on the other side. Avery immediately had to shield her eyes from the light. A headache immediately started. When her pupils finally adjusted, she realized how strange it was to see Hayley standing on her front porch. She had on high-waisted red shorts and a black blazer. And for once, flat shoes were on her feet.

Avery didn't even bother speaking. She only shook her hands and threw her hands out in exasperation, showing Hayley that she should speak. Avery didn't care enough to ask a million questions.

"Really?" Hayley asked. "It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon and you just got out of bed?" She shook her head at the ridiculousness. "Are you going to invite me in or what?" The vampire asked. She still had troubling remembering the certain rule that she must oblige ever since turning.

"No." Avery stated.

"It speaks." Hayley mocked. She looked into the house, past Avery's shoulder. "Look this whole thing is like the sad part of every romantic comedy I've ever seen. I need to talk to you. You've been ignoring all your friends. And I'm sick of the dramatics. So let me in, before I really make a scene." Her arms were crossed and she stood in a demeaning way. But Avery only rolled her eyes. "I know you're smart enough not to underestimate me." Hayley's eyes narrowed. "Elijah has a sick way of getting what he wants, which means I've picked up a few of his tricks."

Avery took it in for a minute. She shrugged her shoulders. "Fine. Come in." She didn't wait for her to walk in as she ambled over to the couch and collapsed across it. Avery glanced up to see Hayley now standing over her.

"What did he say to you?" Hayley asked.

"Who?" But she knew exactly who Hayley was talking about.

"I know he said something…probably horrible to scare you away. He won't talk to me; he won't talk to anyone. And Matt said you haven't picked up his phone calls or text messages in two days. So tell me what happened?" Hayley finally calmed down and tried to be more supportive, now sitting down in a different chair.

Avery sat up. "Why do you care?" She snapped harshly. But the attempt to be mean was useless. Hayley didn't take offense to most things.

"Don't do that." Hayley muttered softly. "Don't try and act like it wasn't painful. He knows he's good at hurting others. He probably knew exactly what to say to push you away." She paused. "But how could you believe it?" She whispered.

"There's nothing to believe or not to believe. Kol was right. And I was an idiot for being so optimistic and hopeful about everything. He's a vampire. I'm a human. We were never supposed to be together. It's against nature." She was on her back with her arms draped over her eyes.

"That is such bull shit and you know it." Hayley pointed out.

Avery suddenly sat up, leaning on her forearms. "Look, if I knew you were just going to condescend and yell at me, I wouldn't have invited you in. Can I take back my invitation?" She glared. But Avery stopped when she noticed that Hayley was looking out the window. She looked sad and lost in her thoughts all of the sudden. Avery told herself she shouldn't be so mean to her. Hayley never had any reason to help her and Kol's relationship. But that's all she had been doing since Avery met her. This was no way to treat a friend who was only trying to help.

"It will never get easier. Being with Kol is difficult. He rarely takes things seriously…except you, Avery." Hayley said softly, for once. "If you want to him be with as much as I think, you have to toughen up. As harsh as that sounds, it's true. The more you let it seem like you're not strong enough, the more he's going to push you away. Kol is only selfless with you. It doesn't matter how much he loves you, he will do anything to make sure you're safe."

Avery's jaw dropped a little. Everything Hayley said was true. She became embarrassed at how stupid she had been. How could she believe Kol so easily? But Kol was stubborn and got what he wanted. And what Kol wanted was for her to believe him and keep her away from his dangerous life. Avery made a silent promise to herself. From then on, she wouldn't cry and she was done being weak. She needed to be strong. Kol and her friends' lives were in danger. It was no time to be the weakest. She could no longer afford it. Avery had been through enough pain to learn how to get over it. She needed to start trying.

"I'm sorry." Avery whispered sincerely.

Hayley look confused. "For what?"

"For doubting you and questioning why you would even care. You have no reason to be here, yet you still are." She inhaled deeply. "And for that, I have to say thank you. And I hope it wouldn't be too much for me to call you a friend."

Hayley gave her a small smile. "Of course we're friends, Avery."

The harsh realization settled across Avery. She breathed heavily, trying to take it all in as calmly as possible. She had to find Kol. Everything needed to be fixed.

She glanced up to look at Hayley and opened her mouth to ask where he was.

"He's not at the mansion." Hayley immediately stated as if she could read Avery's question before it was asked. "You don't have to go to him today. I just needed you to realize what had to be done."

"But I want to see him." Avery sighed. But she knew that one more day apart wouldn't kill either of them. Perhaps Kol needed time on his own to see how irrational he was being. But Avery supposed that it hurt him also to know that she would believe what he said so easily, to disregard it so simply. It was as if nothing he said before actually meant anything to her.

"I doubt you'll find him. None of us know where he is." Hayley stated.

"No one as in you and Elijah." Avery pointed out. She knew Klaus didn't care about his brother, which was quite sad considering that he was basically the one who started all of it.

"Rebekah has been pretty worried." Hayley smiled at Avery's surprise. "Her and Kol may bicker a lot. But they do care about each other. It's a youngest thing, I guess. They have a bond but it also makes them pretend like they hate one another too." She laughed a little at the thought. But it still left the last Mikaelson. The half brother that they all treated like a full-blooded sibling despite all the horrible things he'd done to them. It made them more like a family than anyone realized.

"Have talked to him?" Avery asked quietly. She knew Hayley understood whom she was talking about.

"At first I was scared to go near him. Not for my safety. But Elijah wouldn't let me see him unless he was there. And I knew his self-control would be short with Klaus after what he did. Eventually I found a way to see him…alone." Hayley was walking around the house as she talked. She finally paused and faced Avery. "I want you to understand that Klaus has nothing against you. Nothing was your fault. Even though he never showed any regret, Klaus knows what he did was wrong."

"I just don't understand what even happened… One moment he was fine and the next he just snapped." Avery's voice shook as she recalled the memory. Every little detail would never be forgotten for the rest of her life.

"Snapped." Hayley whispered loud enough for Avery to barely catch it. She was staring out the window. An overcast of clouds suddenly blocked the sun, causing the day to become gloomy. "That's what Klaus does best." She turned away from the window. "I should never have brought up Caroline, especially with you there. He barely opens up to anyone. Not even me. And with you there to witness me asking something personal, it upset him. He doesn't want anyone to know."

"What even happened between them?" Avery muttered. Ever since she saw Caroline sneak into the ball, she was confused by the relationship between her and Klaus. Was Caroline as against him as everyone thought? But Avery didn't even bother expecting Hayley to answer her. Like she just stated, Klaus never wanted anyone to know about it.

There was a beat before Hayley started speaking again. "He knows that in order for her to love him, he has to become everything he's not. Klaus doesn't know how to change. He literally doesn't know how to be good. And it destroys him knowing that he can't have her because it's almost impossible to be what she needs."

Avery nodded her head; finally understanding Klaus even the slightest bit more. "That's why he's been acting so strange." She whispered. His random lash outs didn't make sense until now. Before, Avery believed he was an unstable lunatic. But his actions were somewhat explainable after hearing Hayley.

"Well, now that I'm here. We might as well have some fun." Hayley smiled mischievously as she immediately flew to the cabinet above the fridge. Her height made grabbing a fifth of vodka effortless. The idea came to mind as soon as she smelled the alcohol.

"You judged me for just waking up and now you want to drink. How hypocritical." Avery acted insulted. But then laughed at her.

"Whatever… Are you going to join me or what?" Hayley asked after rolling her eyes dramatically. Her seriousness had come to a close. It was hard enough to be the peacekeeper in the middle of Avery and Kol. But with her gift of reading and observing others, she felt responsible for helping them. Except, she did it because she cared about both of them more than she could ever show.

* * *

Elijah felt guilty for lying to Hayley about Kol's whereabouts. But he didn't want to give her another problem to deal with. He wanted to talk to his little brother on his own. Even though Elijah doubted Kol would want to do the same. But he had to at least give it a shot. It was like history was repeating itself. Before Klaus had daggered them all, it had started like this. They would test one and push one another until it became too much. Even with living along side each other forever, they still hadn't learned how to be a family. Elijah wouldn't let them fall apart again.

Somehow he knew where he would find Kol. And he also realized Hayley would never think of it herself. Elijah made sure he was extra quiet when he finally spotted Kol. He was sitting on the rocky beach of the lake. Elijah was always good at being stealth, allowing him to sneak up on vampires with the most heightened senses, even his own siblings.

"Kol." He greeted calmly.

The younger original didn't jump or even act surprised at finding him there. He didn't want to show that he had been caught off guard. Kol simply glanced around at Elijah for a brief second before turning back around to look out onto the water. "I hope you're not here to give me some pathetic speech about family and how we must stick together." He patronized. "_Always and forever_ was the three of you. Finn and I missed out on that particular blood pact."

Elijah slowly walked over to lean against a tree so he could actually see Kol's face as they spoke. Kol looked absolutely defeated just within his face and his posture. Elijah's hands were in his pant pockets as he turned to look out onto the water too. "That is not why I am here."

"I guess I should at least thank you for keeping my location a secret from Hayley." Kol stated with a sad smirk.

"But you won't." Elijah pointed out calmly. Hayley would try to help Kol. But in the end, it was a brother's bond that would help, even if it were a damaged one.

"I'm not sure you of all people should lecture me on the situation at hand." Kol said harshly. "It's not as if you made the best decisions. At least I didn't wipe away Avery's memory for two years." There it was again, trying to point out the hurt of others so they couldn't see his own.

"I did not find you to lecture you, Kol. But you're right; I'm in no position to anyway. Although, I am hopeful that you make the same choice as I did and decide to go back to Avery."

"Why, so the same thing can happen to her? She'll get thrown into problems that are not her own and be hurt by others just because of me." Kol growled.

"Perhaps." Elijah stated calmly, completely ignoring the Kol's hits directed only at him. After all this time, he expected it from his little brother. Elijah was almost immune to his spiteful comments.

"Perhaps?" Kol almost yelled.

"But you will both be happy, won't you? Isn't that enough?" Elijah stated after a moment. Even after all his disapproval for Kol and his ways, he couldn't deny the change he saw in him when he was around Avery. Elijah had found empty blood bags, that he knew were not Niklaus' or Rebekah's. He wondered when Kol last fed on a human. Had it stopped when he met Avery? But it wasn't just the blood. Kol didn't go out of his way to get reactions out of other's for his impulsive actions. All his energy was focused on the girl in front of him, the girl he was in love with.

Kol threw a stone. It skipped across the surface of the water more times than he cared to count. For once, he just wanted to let himself say how he actually felt to someone. It was hard even with Avery but nearly impossible with everyone else.

"Are you happy? Even after everything that happened to her?" Kol asked his brother softly. They had never talked like this before. And they probably never would have if it hadn't for the two miracles that had come into both their lives. It felt like it could never happen again.

"I would be lying if I said the guilt was unbearable at first. But I can't even fathom what my life would be like if I didn't have her. What would be the point?" Elijah muttered the question to himself, almost forgetting Kol was right there. But Kol listened closely and realized Elijah had just said everything he couldn't. After Avery, to go through immortality without her would be a life of self-loathing. He would only become a worse vampire than before, living only with hate and regret.

* * *

**Please don't hate me people. **


	31. Chapter 31

**I dedicate this chapter to all the ones who reviewed the last. They were all so forgiving with my lateness and are all so sweet. I'm lucky to have such awesome followers. Take note, this chapter was updated less than 24 hours after the last. **

**Music**

**Inertia Creeps - Massive Attack **(Hayley/Avery Surprise)

**War - Son Lux **(Meredith)

**Kettering - The Antlers **(Mansion)

* * *

The moon was high in the sky as Hayley threw herself onto the couch. They stopped drinking an hour ago, but both were still a little buzzed. At least, that's what Hayley believed. Avery laughed at Hayley's behavior. But then her thoughts slowly wandered to Kol. She wanted to see him still. Even though Hayley said they had no idea where he was. But suddenly, Avery thought of something.

"You said that no one knows where Kol is, right?" She asked.

Hayley's face turned serious as she saw how important the question was to her. She sat up right to respond. "Yeah." She agreed.

"Is his car still there?" Avery wondered intensely.

"Yeah, it's sitting in the driveway." Hayley shrugged, not seeing the significance. Vampires didn't really need cars to get around. If Kol wanted to go far away, he didn't require his Ferrari to do so.

Avery's eyes widened. "I know where he is!" She immediately looked around for her car keys. But Hayley shook her head at the movement.

"Oh no, no, no. You are not driving after all those shots I forced onto you." Hayley argued. She stood up, prepared to physically stop Avery if necessary.

"Hayley, I'm not even drunk. I stopped taking those shots like three hours ago. I was throwing them in the sink." Avery held her hands out in surrender. If she had to tell the truth about being incapable of keeping up with Hayley's drinking, so be it. It didn't matter right now.

"Rude." Hayley said with her dark sarcasm. She got spotted Avery's car keys and handed them to her with no intention of allowing her to go alone, for the car ride at least. But just before the keys touched Avery's hands, Hayley stopped. She turned in a complete circle as if she were watching something in the room. Avery was able to see the panic in her eyes, even with the effort to hide it.

Hayley grabbed Avery's hand and shoved the keys into her hand. She dipped her head to look into Avery's eyes. The seriousness in them made Avery listen to every word she was about to say. "You have to drive to the mansion. You have to get help. No matter what happens to me, do _not_ stop. Find them." Hayley's voice was deep and calm as her hands were on Avery's shoulders. "Do you understand?"

Avery immediately nodded. But she wanted to ask Hayley what was happening. What did the vampire sense that she could not? "What is it? What's going on?" Avery allowed herself to whisper.

"They're here. I can't tell how many. But it's a lot." Hayley stated. "When I say so, you're going to run out the front door to the car as fast as you can." Avery immediately nodded at her instruction. Now was not the time to argue, Hayley was doing what she thought was necessary. She followed her to the front door.

Hayley's hand lingered on the doorknob as she locked her eyes with Avery's, making sure she was ready. "Now!" She instructed as she whipped open the door. A stake shot into the doorframe, missing Hayley by a centimeter. Hayley ripped it off and threw it back at its owner. The stake landed right into the hunter's heart.

As hard as it was to leave Hayley, Avery did as she was told and sprinted to her car. Just after opening the door, she allowed herself one last glance at Hayley. There were over a dozen vampire hunters on her front lawn. Once again, they were all dressed in black with their faces covered by their hoods. The silver crosses flying around their necks with every attack. Hayley was moving faster than Avery was able to keep up with. But there were too many. She missed stake after stake and tried her best to kill as quickly as possible. But just as Avery was about to get into the car with hope that Hayley could last, a dart was shot into Hayley's neck. She fell to her knees and then collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.

Avery gasped but knew she had to get into the car. There was nothing else she would be able to do. As she shoved the keys into the ignition, some of the hunters finally paid attention to her. One started for the car, but another that was standing next to him shoved her hand over his chest to stop him. The mysterious girl seemed to be in charge of the entire group. Avery floored the car into reverse. A spark lit against the pavement as the bumper scraped against the curb at such a fast speed. The car whined in protest as she pushed the gas pedal to the floor. The streetlights flickered through her windshield as Avery sped through the side streets of Mystic Falls to get to Klaus' mansion.

She looked around to find her phone, to warn them quicker. But Avery was horrified when she realized that it was still at the house, sitting on her nightstand. A rush of adrenaline spread through her as she recognized Hayley's life was in her hands now. She had to tell them before it was too late.

* * *

Meredith was rushing out of a patient's room when she was intercepted by two police officers. Her face immediately went grim. It was never a pleasant conversation with them ever since they interfered with the council.

"A moment, Doctor Fell?" One of them asked. He acted as if it was an option, but they all knew she had no choice. Meredith nodded as she led them to her office. She stopped once inside when she saw that there was someone already sitting in the chair at her desk. She had never seen him before. He was older, late 50s from what she could guess. His hair a dirty blond and his green eyes somehow still visible in the darkness of the office. Then she caught Sheriff Phillips standing in the corner, with his arms crossed.

"Look, whatever this is, I have a lot of patients to attend to." Meredith specified confidently. She wasn't scared of them, though they made it clear that they wanted her to be.

"You should lose the attitude, Doctor Fell. It isn't too late for us to revoke your medical license. I believe my son was too generous when he decided otherwise. But we do need someone of medical intelligence to help our cause."

Meredith's eyes shot to the sheriff. This man was his father. So it was true, their family was in town. The council filtered what they said at meetings, never truly trustworthy of its members ever since the mayor and Sheriff Forbes debacle.

"What do you want then?" Meredith asked.

"First allow me to introduce myself. There's no reason for us to be uncivil." The man stood up from her chair and held out his hand for her to shake. "Henry Phillips." He stated calmly. But Meredith denied shaking his hand. He smiled at her reaction, expecting nothing else. Then his face turned to stone. "I hear your niece has become rather involved with the original clan." Henry refused to call it a family.

Meredith's entire body stiffened at the mentioning of Avery. She quickly glanced at Sheriff Phillips to see that he refused to make eye contact. He knew he should never have told his family about her. But he had a duty to fulfill. This was his test to officially be a part of their family's legacy. He had to do what was necessary.

"Leave Avery out of this." Meredith instructed steadily.

"Oh, but she's already too involved. Sides must be chosen and she has already decided to pick vampires over her own kind. She has become the enemy just like the rest of them." He informed her inconsiderately.

"No. Please, you can't. She's innocent. I'm the one who brought her to Mystic Falls. She would never have been caught in the middle of this if it weren't for me." Meredith was beginning to panic. She turned to address Sheriff Phillips instead. "Please, if you care about her at all, you won't let them hurt her." She pleaded. Sheriff Phillips looked uncomfortable with the confrontation. He opened his mouth to say something but glanced at his father a second before and stopped himself.

"We'll be keeping in touch." Henry Phillips stated as he signaled to the rest of them to head out. He stopped just as he reached the door. "Oh, of few will be coming in soon. There was another awful animal attack." Henry said mockingly. "Isn't that what you write on all the papers?" He scratched the scruff on his chin dramatically. "Well…it was a horrible animal attack. Luckily, we were able to take it down." Meredith's eyes squinted in confusion. "I actually think you might know it. Apparently the thing goes by the name of Hayley." He smirked as her eyes widened. "You have yourself a good night, Doctor Fell."

The moment Meredith felt like she wasn't being watched, she ripped her cell phone from her lab coat pocket. Her fingers shook uncontrollably as she dialed Avery's cell phone number. But it went straight to voicemail. She never had her phone off. Meredith ran her fingers through her hair. She was a second away from going into hysterics. Before she knew what she was doing, Meredith was dialing Kol. She didn't even know how she knew the number. There was no one else to turn to.

* * *

Avery's car screeched to a halt on the circular driveway. She sprinted into the mansion. She made sure to slam the door to get everyone's attention, as if it wasn't already caught from the car tires shrieking. Elijah appeared at her side. His face was concerned finding Avery in such condition. There was a glaze of sweat across her skin. A few strands of hair stuck to her face due to the moisture. Her pulse was racing and her breathing uneven.

"What's happened?" He asked. Then he realized Hayley should be inside by now. She had been with Avery all this time.

"Bloody hell, what is all the noise for?" Klaus came strolling into the great hall casually. There was a smirk on his face. Any concern was completely absent. Rebekah was at his side but she looked at Avery closely, seeing something was wasn't right. Meanwhile, Avery tried to catch her breath.

"They took her…" Avery gasped. "They took Hayley." She looked up to see horror immediately cover Elijah's face. And to her surprise, the smirk Klaus had vanished as soon as she had said Hayley's name.

"How did you get away?" Rebekah asked. Both Elijah and Klaus were too stunned to ask any questions.

"I don't know. One of them started to run to my car but they stopped him…" Avery's voice slowly faded when she realized what was happening. "They wanted me to come to you." She whispered. "They could have shot my tires or actually tried to stop me from getting way…they knew I would tell you. They're using Hayley as bait, Elijah. It's a trap." Her thoughts were racing. She'd just done exactly what they wanted. "Where's Kol? He has to be at the lake."

Elijah looked up at the mentioning of his younger brother's location. "I was there with him earlier." Before Avery could ask him any more questions, he raced out of the house and was back in thirty seconds. "He's not there."

"His car wasn't in the driveway when I got here." Avery panted. "I don't have my cell phone. He probably called it and thought the worst when I didn't pick up. Someone try and call him!" She pleaded. "It might not be too late."

Rebekah immediately dialed her brother's number. But it was off. She merely shook her head. Everyone knew it meant the worst scenario. Suddenly, the front door burst open. Three vampires, a witch, and a human entered. Stefan's eyes fell on Avery with confusion. "Meredith said they took you." He stated.

"What? Why would she think that?" Avery asked.

"Well, look who has come to save the day. I'm shocked…truly. Elena isn't in danger yet all of you are here." Klaus pointed out darkly.

"The man in charge of the hunters went to see Meredith a little while ago. He threatened Avery's life and then told her they had Hayley." Stefan informed the group. Elijah's jaw was clenched. Avery had never seen him look so dangerous.

"That's what they wanted. They fed her information, knowing exactly how she would react. They know how we're going to react before every one of their decisions." Avery pointed out.

But Elijah was sick of their talking. He started toward the door. Avery had every intention of going with. They didn't just have Hayley. It was clear they had lured Kol in with making him believe she was missing.

"Aren't you going to save your only friend?" Damon taunted Klaus. The comment stopped Elijah in his tracks. He turned to see his brother's reaction, wondering if he would risk his life for both his brother and Hayley. Plus, Rebekah had already joined Avery's side. She refused to let anyone destroy their family, Hayley and Avery included.

But Klaus looked torn. He didn't want to act like he cared enough about Kol or Hayley to risk his life saving them. However inside, they were one of the few he actually cherished. His jaw was jutted out while he stayed quiet.

"They took Caroline." Elena suddenly stated. Her eyes were underneath a layer of tears that had yet to fall. Avery's heart raced. They could never have predicted any of this. The hunters knew just how to entice all of their victims. They found out the original's desires and people they cared about.

"We're here to help." Bonnie confirmed. They still didn't know what vampire was linked to Elena. It could be Kol. But once they found out the hunters had Hayley also, they knew Elijah would never stand by. And Caroline would risk her life, no matter what, if any of her friends were in the same position.

"We haven't forgot that we made an alliance with you." Damon reminded them with his signature smirk. They all watched as Klaus left the room without a word. He decided he would have no part in it. Stefan switched his gaze to Elijah.

The original wanted to leave now. For all they knew, Hayley could already be dead. But the cleverness inside reminded him that they needed her and Kol alive to actually get the rest of them to come to their aid. Elijah recognized that he couldn't take on a whole family by himself. After a moment, he finally nodded his head.

"We need a plan." Stefan stated.

* * *

**What are your thoughts, friends? :)**


	32. Chapter 32

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU...for your patience and for the reviews. You guys are the shit. That is all.**

**Music**

**Why So Serious? - Hans Zimmer**

**Winter's Wall - Wise Children**

* * *

Kol was dragged down creaky wooden stairs to a basement. He was in too much pain to figure out where he was. The moment he was ambushed, he knew that they'd used Avery once again to lure him into a trap. There had been too many, just like last time. A wooden stake to the abdomen put him at his weakest, allowing them to grab him and bring him to the basement he now stood in.

Kol's eyes tried not to immediately widened when he saw Hayley. She had chains attached to her wrists that were hung above her head by a bannister across the ceiling. For a moment, he thought she was unconscious since her head was dipped. He couldn't see her face but as soon as a few hunters stormed down the stairs, her head slowly looked up. Her lip was split. But as far as he could see, there were no serious injuries. Hayley's eyes look defeated and sad when she saw Kol. She glanced over at another figure he hadn't noticed. Caroline Forbes was chained to a wall, completely unconscious. Hayley was more concerned for her than Kol.

Two hunters sat Kol in a chair. The ropes burned his skin as they bound him to it. He assumed that they were soaked in vervain. Plus, they had already put vervain in his system, small enough to keep him conscious but strong enough that he couldn't fight any longer.

"The vampire in love with an original and the brother who's line she belongs to. It's all too dramatic for me." A voice said, coming out of the shadows. Kol glared up to see a stranger. There was some physical resemblance to Sheriff Phillips. But he didn't really even care. All he assumed was that it was his father: Henry Phillips.

Henry sauntered over to Hayley and roughly grabbed her chin. "How old are you?" He asked her curiously. But she only smirked at him, knowing her silence would drive him crazy. "Are we shy?" He asked her. Before she could do anything else to make him angry, he punched her in the jaw. Kol's ropes tightened at the sight, but he was completely helpless. Henry took off the brass knuckle and handed it to one of the other hunters. Clearly, this was the man in charge.

"I have a very low patience for your kind. I will ask you nicely once more, how old are you?" It had only been a question to solve his mild curiosity. But with her rebellious attitude, he now made it an ordeal. Hayley lifted her head to look at him. Her mouth was full of blood. Some of it dripped down the corner of her lips.

She spit in his face. "20." Hayley muttered. Kol couldn't help but admire her ways. He hoped they wouldn't break her before someone could help them.

Henry laughed darkly at the answer. "I didn't mean how old you look. I asked how old you were?" He glared at Hayley.

"I'm 20 years old, you fucking idiot. I was only turned a few months ago."

Henry turned to look at Sheriff Phillips, who Kol just now noticed standing in the corner. Hayley's response seemed to surprise him. The sheriff looked uncomfortable. Apparently, they hadn't researched them enough to know she was still so new. She was younger than Sheriff Phillips himself. Kol made note of his reaction, trying to think of a way to use it to his advantage.

Henry turned his attention to Kol now. "You have no idea how long I've waited to have an original vampire in my grasp. Killing you would wipe out one fourth of the your species' population." The eagerness was decipherable.

Kol narrowed his eyes and leaned as far forward as his ropes would allow. "Well then, someone is rather good at mathematics." He tilted his head and smirked.

"So you're the arrogant one your father told us about." Henry stated. Kol's smirk was instantly wiped off his face and Henry noticed. "Oh yes, I knew Mikael." Hayley's eyes shot toward Kol. Henry knelt down so he was eye to eye with Kol. "He taught us everything we know. However, he only ever wanted to kill Klaus. But once he died, our plans changed. We took matters into our own hands."

Henry stood up straight. The air in the room changed. "So, who shall we kill first?" He asked the room as he glanced over at Caroline's unconscious body. "Probably not that one. It would be no fun if she wasn't awake." Kol only glared at him, refusing to play along with his games. Henry strolled over to Hayley. Then he faced Kol as he grabbed a knife out from behind him.

"I'm not sure I can decide which to slaughter first: you or her. If I kill you, she will die shortly after. But I think I quite like the idea of you watching her die." He traced the knife across Hayley's ribs. Her body tensed, preparing for the pain she knew would soon follow. The blade wouldn't kill her. But both Kol and Hayley realized they wouldn't have quick and painless deaths.

Suddenly, Henry shoved the knife into Hayley's side, just below her rib cage. Kol could tell by her eyes that she was trying her best not to show any signs of pain. As her teeth clenched, not a noise escaped from her mouth. She would break her own jaw before she let out any sign of pain.

"I'm not sure if I would do that." Kol stated evenly. His eyes were locked on the blood that trickled down Hayley's side. Henry waited for him to continue. "My dear brother will find her no matter what. And when he does, I cannot describe the agony he will put all of you through. You see…he doesn't like his things touched." Kol was trying to slip Hayley out of her pain without showing his concern. He knew if they caught it, they would only make it worse.

Henry slowly walked toward Kol, only stopping when there was barely any space between their faces. "Oh, I intend on making him mad." He informed Kol. "Why do you think we brought the very things your family holds so dear? Rage blinds the enemy, making it easier to kill." Henry whispered.

"You consider you're so superior." Kol spluttered.

"They didn't make themselves vampires." Hayley interrupted. "Ester crafted them. So why do they have to suffer for something that was never in their control?" Her face was glistening with sweat from her face. And her usual glow was missing, replaced by a stark paleness. The exhaustion was easily heard in her voice from the pain she was trying so hard to hide.

"Exactly!" Henry shouted. "You had an opportunity to be great, to bring good with your power! But what did you? All your family did was bring death, destruction, and darkness into the world. You had your chance and you ruined it."

Kol's face was blank. There was nothing to argue. Everything Henry said was true. Their mother made them thirst for blood. But she never forced them to become evil and murderous. Now every other vampire had them as an example. Hundreds would die just from Kol alone. And one sat right across from him.

The basement door opened, causing Henry to finally tear his glare away from Kol. Another two hunters were escorting Avery down the stairs. One was a girl, holding Avery by her heavy and baggy jacket. She shoved Avery toward Henry. "She claims that she's made a mistake…chosen the wrong side. We found her sneaking outside the warehouse." She stated.

"Avery, what are you doing?" Hayley pleaded. Kol immediately saw this as a result from the damage he caused. He'd made Avery hate him so much that she would help in the fight to kill him and his family.

"Vampires are the reason my family is dead." Avery whimpered. "If they never existed, I would still have them." She turned to face Henry. "I made a mistake. I should never have turned my back on my own kind."

"You fucking traitor." Hayley whispered. But Kol didn't realize they were both acting. The self-loathing that had already grown inside from what he did to Avery made him believe every thing she said. But Hayley knew this was a performance. She just hadn't figured out the plan yet. She put her talent of lying to good use, knowing Avery was no expert at it.

Except, Henry didn't seem very fond of Hayley's comment. Before anyone knew what he was going to do, he picked up a shotgun that leaned against the wall. He immediately released one bullet, but didn't aim at the heart. It was important not to kill her until the moment was precise. The wooden bullet shattered into Hayley's abdomen. It took every ounce of strength in Avery not to cringe or show any signs of weakness at the visual. Meanwhile, Hayley hissed in pain. The shards had spread too deep and she couldn't heal herself.

"I'm sorry. I was scared…scared of what they would do to me if I didn't choose them." Avery stated pathetically. "I didn't think anyone could kill them. I thought it was impossible." She amazed herself with her newfound ability to lie. But the circumstances called for nothing less. If she wasn't convincing enough, it could cost all of their lives.

"Nothing is impossible." Henry informed her darkly. "They shall be killed with the very thing that made them what they are."

Avery's eyes narrowed. "Magic?" Kol rolled his eyes, _of course._ Everyone always believed in magic. But he wondered what made their plan so much more fool proof than the rest.

"Most witches fear dark magic…" Henry started. "And then there are the rare few who embrace it with all their being." He barely allowed himself to glance at the one of the hunters that still lingered in the basement. Avery didn't recognize anything about her from the attacks, not that faces were very easy to read with their hoods. The girl took down her cover. Immediately, Kol was able to see a hidden darkness in her eyes. Something he hadn't even seen in his mothers. She was obviously no ordinary witch. Her hair was so beach blonde, it almost looked stark white in the darkness. With her pale skin, she practically didn't look human.

"Aradia is one of them." Henry stated calmly. All eyes were on the witch now. Kol could feel her power suddenly, as if she had been cloaking it somehow until currently. Even with living for a millennium, he'd never witnessed anything like it. "I assure you, we are stronger than you believe." Henry noted to Avery.

Aradia slowly walked over to Hayley, who was still in pain from the gunshot wound that had yet to heal. Kol glanced at the witch's hands. They looked to be glowing at all times, her magic radiating forever radiating from her palms. "She's was only a child when she was turned...younger than your own son." Aradia stated. "By the hands of the original witch's creation." She had no sympathy or sincerity to her tone. Everything said was emotionless.

Then Aradia moved to Kol. She knelt so her eyes were even with him sitting. "Arrogant and lacking empathy. He shows almost no value toward human life…until someone showed him differently. He loves her." She stood up and looked at Avery so everyone knew whom she spoke of.

To everyone's surprise, the witch then moved slowly to Avery's side. She looked deeply into her eyes. Avery felt a coldness envelope her, wrapping around her entire body like a shell. Her mind and soul felt invaded by something she didn't quite understand. For a moment, she thought Aradia wouldn't say anything.

"Everything she said was a lie. You would be a fool to believe anything that comes out of her mouth." Aradia quickly said, as if she couldn't lose a second. Kol heard Avery's heart jump. But Avery had shoved the witch away from her, giving her enough time to pull a small hand grenade out of her jacket. She threw it where all the hunters lay. Before it blew up, she threw two more that were smoke bombs.

Kol heard the first's explosion over the hiss of the two smoke bombs. The grenade injured most of the hunters that stood guard and watched the mediation. Kol could hear heartbeats racing and some stop dead. His wrists fought against the ropes. He had to find Avery before they hurt her to get to him. She'd betrayed them and he didn't believe they'd react kindly to it. But the ropes only burned further into his flesh while his strength was also weakened from the vervain.

"ARADIA!" Kol heard Henry shout. Of course the grenade wouldn't kill the lead hunter. That would be too simple. At first Kol thought it was a cry for her death. But then he realized it was a signal. Kol looked through the smoke to see a flames rise up out of nowhere. It felt and looked similar to the fire at the carnival that he was sure Bonnie had accidentally started. But it had a mind of its own. The fire had more control and it moved in the most unnatural way. Right before his eyes, the fire turned from an ordinary red to a neon purple. This was the weapon they had always planned to use. First, dagger all of the originals and then burn them with a fire that was dark and unnatural, just like them.

The darkness mixed with the smolder made it impossible, even for a vampire's eyes, to see. Kol could only hear Hayley coughing from the smoke. He could feel it too. The mystic fire left a haze that almost felt like poison when inhaled. She was already weak from her other injuries. He predicted that she wouldn't be conscious much longer. Then, for some reason, Kol looked over at Caroline. She was close enough to him that he could still slightly make out her figure. The young vampire was still lifeless, completely unaware of the death all of them were about to face. Kol could only hope that Avery had made it safely outside and then Elijah would find some way to save Hayley. But he realized she'd still die along with him anyway. It wasn't fair. But death never was.

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**GAHHH! I have work tomorrow. NEED TO GO TO BED. Review? please? pretty please?**


	33. Chapter 33

**I love all of you. That is all.**

**Music**

**Death Is the Road to Awe - Clint Mansell **(Fire)

**Darkness Is Not the Opposite of Light - Fabrizio Paterlini **(Blood)

**Words in the Fire - ****Patrick Watson**

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The second Kol decided this was all hopeless, that his stubbornness and anger couldn't spare his life; he felt hands frantically ripping at the ropes behind his back. Even without being able to see her face, he knew it was Avery. He could hear her panicked breathing and the trembling of her fingers as they tried to untie the knots and loops. Kol looked around at the fire and smoke. Every second they stayed was detrimental. Less than a minute could decide their fate.

"Avery, get out of here!" He shouted over the flames.

"I'm not leaving you. There's still time." Avery rushed, as she was able to get one of his hands free. It allowed him to actually face her.

"Leave!" He almost begged her. "Get out of here! The fire won't let me leave. You're not allowed to risk your life to save me!" But Avery ignored all his demands. She made a promise that she wouldn't leave him, and she would keep it.

Avery paused for a moment, finally looking at him instead of the ropes. "Kol, would you leave me if the situation were reverse?" She snapped. But he only could look at her. He knew where she was going with the question. "Exactly." Avery replied just as she finally untied his other hand.

Kol immediately stood up to drag Avery out of the warehouse. But he forgot about the dose of vervain they put into his blood. He had stood up too quickly and stumbled a little. It made it almost impossible to walk. Avery was at his side as soon as she had stood up from untying the ropes. She wrapped her arm around his waist. Her small stature couldn't hold up Kol's tall form. But she could handle him leaning against her as she urged him forward toward the only staircase. The smoke bombs had now faded and were replaced by the smoke of the mystic fire surrounding them. Kol looked up and was finally able to see Hayley's lifeless body still hanging from the chains. He stopped Avery from taking him any further. She looked at him to question why he'd stopped walking.

"Go Avery." Kol commanded. He could never leave Hayley. She'd saved his life once. And she was his friend. He couldn't abandon her, not with Elijah.

Avery realized what he wanted to do. "You can't even walk on your own!" She shouted over the noise of the burning building. "You can't help her!" Avery stated. But she had never planned on leaving Hayley either. Her eyes moved to look at the door at the top of the staircase. Kol could read a new panic in them. "He's supposed to be down here by now." Avery murmured to herself. He knew she was talking about Elijah. Apparently, he had missed his cue.

Avery tried to drag Kol further. She had strict orders to get Kol to safety. It was the hardest thing to do, seeing two people just resting lifelessly while a fire burned around them and not helping either of them. Kol allowed her to move him away. He intended on getting Avery out of the warehouse and coming back down to get Hayley if need be. Just as the two reached the bottom of the stairs, the door at the top flew off the hinges. The entire thing slid down the stairs, missing the two of them by only a few feet as it slammed to the basement floor. Avery looked up to see Elijah for a split second before he raced down the stairs.

He was now standing next to them. "Get him out of here." Elijah raised his voice loud enough for her to hear. For once, he actually looked disheveled. His hair was messier and the tie around his collar crooked and slightly loosened.

Avery only nodded her head, understanding that he would get Hayley. She hesitated long enough to see Elijah spot Hayley. Avery was so distracted with the pure rage she saw in his composure that she didn't hear the beam above them start to creek in protest to the flames. Elijah tore his eyes away from Hayley to see the beam start to collapse toward the ground. He shoved Avery and Kol against the wall that the stairs rested again. It missed them by a yard, thanks to the push. But Avery looked horrified when she saw that it now separated Elijah from getting to Hayley. He couldn't move the beam since it was completely immersed in the bright purple flames. Avery was sure if any vampire touched it, they would die a slow and painful death. "Elijah…" She started hopelessly. She didn't want to, but she was about to tell him that there was no way they could save her.

Elijah seemed to sense that was what she would say and stopped her before she could say anything more. "Get him up those stairs before they breakdown." He instructed. But he didn't look at Avery as he said it. Instead, he locked eyes with his brother. Avery read something completely different in the look than in what he actually said. Then she comprehended; it was his good-bye to Kol. Avery looked up to see Kol only nod before attempting to pull Avery onto the stairs. This was their only farewell to one another. Kol knew Elijah would leave Hayley. If Hayley died, Elijah would never leave her side. He would be with her to the end.

Avery supported Kol up the stairs. She could feel the effort he was putting in trying to get up the stairs as fast as possible. When they finally reached the opening, Avery's jaw dropped at the battle that had unfolded since she initiated her role. Clearly, all of the vampires were at the advantage as of right now. Everything was moving so fast; she couldn't even make out anyone's face. Matt sprinted to Avery's side as soon as he spotted her. There was a rifle in his hands that he immediately put down to help her. He went on the other side of Kol, pulling him quickly to the side. They leaned Kol against a truck, shielding all of them from the battle.

"Why didn't Stefan get downstairs with Elijah?" Avery asked Matt. Stefan was supposed to have gone with Elijah in order to get Caroline. But he never showed.

"There were so many of them. The plan fell apart as soon as the flames went up. He couldn't make it inside the warehouse." Matt panted. "There were too many."

Bonnie rushed to their side, out of nowhere. Avery suddenly had an idea. "Bonnie, you have to put out the fire!" She demanded.

"I…I can't…it's dark magic." The witch defended.

"You've used it once before." Kol spat. "If you don't… Hayley, Elijah, and your friend are dead." He stated darkly.

"I can't-" Bonnie stared.

"TRY!" Kol shouted. He couldn't lose his brother and Hayley. Bonnie jumped at the yelling. But she knew he was right. She was the only one who had the power to help them. But there was a fear of the darkness overcoming her. She had already started to feel it running through her veins just from a few shadowy spells. Bonnie took a deep breath, nodded, and then closed her eyes. She began murmuring incantations that no one else could understand. Everyone watched her carefully as the rest of the group continued fighting the hunters. A fierce wind blew around them, proving that Bonnie was doing something. Avery could hardly breath, she was so scared that their last chance would fail them. She moved away from the car just enough to see the doorway that led to the warehouse's basement.

Avery closed her eyes, hoping that they could have one last miracle. She made herself breath in and out deeply. She tried to believe in Bonnie's magic with every part of her being. But she rushed over and grabbed Bonnie by her shoulders. "Bonnie, focus on the beam. It's the thing blocking him from getting to her!" Avery urged. But Bonnie was in her deep trance, making it impossible for them to know if she heard her. Avery went back to her spot to wait. She even started murmuring the foreign words to herself, somehow learning them as Bonnie repeated the spell. Avery made herself listen. Her eyelids were shut tight, not believing she could stand the sight of the empty doorway any longer. That was when she heard it.

There was a stroke where it all went quiet. Avery opened her eyes to see that everyone was moving in slow motion, except for her. The flames that rose to the side of the warehouse were decelerated and almost more frightening. A silence filled the air around her to the point where she almost felt as if it would suffocate her. Before Avery could even grasp what was happening, it all stopped. Time caught up, making everything move even faster than normal nature. She gasped when her eyes once again moved to the doorway; Elijah came rushing out with Hayley in his arms.

Avery turned around to see Bonnie was on the ground. She was on all fours, breathing in and out heavily. Matt was at her side, unaware of how to help. Then he looked up to find that it was only Elijah and Hayley. He quickly stood up with determination throughout his composure. Avery rushed over to him.

"Matt, don't go in there! They barely got out alive!" She tried to hold him back as he started toward the warehouse that was almost completely on fire now. Meanwhile, Elijah softly placed Hayley onto the ground. His hands were scarred and burned red. Avery guessed he tried moving the beam with his bare hands before Bonnie was able to use a spell.

"Avery, she's one of my best friends. I have to try!" Matt pleaded and he shoved her off as lightly as possible. There was no point in trying to stop him.

"That won't be necessary." Kol commented darkly. Everyone look toward the warehouse, except Elijah whose attention was only on Hayley's unconscious body. Klaus emerged from the flames with Caroline protectively in his arms. Everyone was completely speechless and in awe. Avery looked past him to see that all the hunters had disappeared. All that was left were the dozen of dead bodies spread throughout the field that lay right next to the warehouse. The Salvatores, Rebekah, and Elena had done their part in distracting the enemy. Somehow everyone was safe. But no one looked like they had won a war of some sort.

"The Phillips got away…." Damon informed the group. Then he looked down at both the unconscious vampire bodies. But he made sure not show any relief at the sight of them both being safe.

"Along with that wench of theirs." Rebekah added. She had walked up behind the Salvatores. She was the only original that stuck with them, making sure to kill every last hunter that was brave enough to continue fighting.

Avery kneeled down next to Hayley. "Why hasn't she woken up?" She asked nervously, glancing up at Elijah.

"It was a shotgun with a wooden bullet." Kol answered first.

"She can't heal herself." Stefan added. He was all too familiar with it.

Just then, Caroline started stirring. The vervain seemed to be fading. Matt walked over to Klaus, who still held her in his arms. "I'll take her." He informed the hybrid darkly. But Klaus glared as if he would kill Matt if even touched her. Before he could threaten him, Caroline somehow curled up closer to Klaus' body.

Suddenly, the warehouse exploded. They were close enough to feel the warmth and wave of destruction. Kol came out of nowhere, shielding Avery with his own body. As soon as it ended, everyone turned to face the building. The smoke and flames rose into the night sky as if a magnet was pulling them toward the moon. Then, all at once, it was sucked back inside like a vacuum and completely extinguished. Avery felt sick just thinking about how all of the originals were meant to be inside when it happened. They would be dead right now. She wondered if there would even have been corpses to bury and shivered at the thought.

Avery turned and faced Kol. He was okay and it just now dawned on her. She embraced him and he held on to her tighter than she could ever remember. Somehow they'd survived another attempted massacre. She stepped back and looked up at him. "Let's go home." She whispered.

Everyone else seemed to want to join the idea. Stefan and Damon glanced at Elena, who had somehow come out of the battle unscathed. She nodded her head, showing that she wanted to leave also. But before she let them lead her away from the battlefield, she carefully walked over to Klaus.

"Thank you…" Elena stuttered. "For saving her." She knew that it would be pointless to try and take her away from Klaus. He would take care of her. Somehow Elena knew it. The original hybrid was evil and a monster, but Caroline made him something else. Everyone in Mystic Falls was slowly starting to realize that Klaus didn't just have a silly crush on this young vampire.

"It was not for you." Klaus stated low and even.

"I know." Elena nodded. He did it for himself. Stefan gently led her away, giving one last glance to Caroline unconscious against Klaus' chest. Matt and Bonnie followed the three after a moment of hesitation. Matt squeezed Avery's arm before leaving, giving her the tiniest smile as a goodbye.

Now it was only the four originals and the three girls the brothers had come to love. Avery cupped Kol's face, still amazed that she had been able to save his life. "Is it safe to go back to the mansion?" Avery asked not just Kol, but all of them.

"If they try anything, we'll be more prepared." Kol answered first. At first, he wanted to tell her to go back home. But then realized that he wasn't going to let her out of his sight. They wouldn't use her against him ever again.

Avery nodded, as she understood Kol's silent communication. It didn't matter if the mansion was safe or not. He wasn't going to leave her. Without saying a word, Elijah raced into the darkness with Hayley in his grasp. A few seconds later, Klaus followed. Avery found it odd seeing him in this light. The effort he put into showing he didn't really care about Caroline was a waste of time. Avery could see it; she could see the love he had for her.

Rebekah gave Avery a respectful nod. It was her way of saying thank you for saving her brother's life. And not only his, but Hayley's also. Just like her brothers, Rebekah fled into the night. Kol and Avery were finally alone. She helped walk him to her car. He was only slightly stronger. But she refused to allow him to act less weak than he actually was.

As Avery carefully drove back to Klaus' mansion, Kol watched her carefully. Her skin was covered in soot marks. Her black hair completely tousled. Where had this brave person come from? He wondered. She risked her life and killed hunters to save him. He didn't know how the sudden change in her had started. And he grasped that he'd completely underestimated her strength.

The car has stopped on the circular driveway of the mansion. Avery pulled the keys out of the ignition and reached for the door handle. She glanced over at Kol for a second to make sure he was following. But she immediately caught the way he was looking at her. She gave him a questioning look.

"Avery, the other night…" Kol started.

"I know." She interrupted. She knew that how hard it was for him to apologize, and how rare. And Avery couldn't see the point in making him apologize. She could read him well enough to know that he regretted all of it as much as her.

"No." Kol continued. "I take it all back. They were all lies to scare you away." He took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I did that to you." His near death experience made him learn how fragile she was to him. Unlike before, his immortality wasn't promised. He didn't have all the time in the world like he thought. He needed Avery to know that everything he'd said to hurt her was really to protect her from his world.

Avery skipped a breath at hearing the apology, completely taken off guard by it. She shook her head quickly. "It's in the past. All I care about is that you're alive. That's all I can think about right now." Kol simply nodded, fully understanding what she meant and agreeing with it.

They slowly made their way up to his bedroom. Avery threw off the jacket that now smelled of smoke. The scent would forever remind her of fear and death. As she threw her hair up into a messy bun, she looked over at Kol to see him slowly sit down on the couch in his room. She could tell he was still so weak from the night's events. She walked over and sat next to him, curling into his body.

"You have to drink blood." Avery informed him.

"There are only two blood bags left in the refrigerator." Kol stated. She immediately recognized that he was leaving them for Hayley and Caroline. He still put in an effort into hiding the good that still lingered inside of him. Kol knew they both needed it more than him. They'd suffered more than him.

"That's not your only option." She surprised herself with what she said. Kol's eyes flicked to hers, showing that he knew exactly what she meant.

"Absolutely not." He snapped. The victims he fed on rarely made it out alive. Even though he was more than capable of controlling himself, he didn't want to even imagine drinking Avery's blood. He wasn't worthy of it.

"It's not the same as the rest." She stated as if she was reading his thoughts. "I'm offering, Kol. You can hardly walk on your own. You need blood."

Kol knew she was right. The war was not yet over. And he needed to be at full strength as soon as possible. There was no way of knowing when the hunters would strike next. But when they did, Kol wouldn't be the one getting saved. He finally nodded his head, unable to find the words to agree to the act.

Avery gave a small smile of encouragement as she leaned forward, completely exposing the left side of her neck to him. Kol hesitated a moment, locking eyes one last time, before he moved his mouth to the pale and smooth skin of her neck. Avery felt his lips caress her skin with a kiss before she felt a prick of pain. She made sure not to let out any noise that would show any sort of pain, knowing Kol would immediately stop if he heard it. But the sting subsided quickly. The first moment of his fangs sinking into her neck was the only cause of discomfort.

After a minute, Kol pulled away. He took as little blood as possible. The moment he felt his strength reawakening within was the only sign he needed to stop. Avery glanced up at him and was already able to see a difference. There was a glow to his skin and a change in his entire poise. She relaxed at the sight.

Kol took her appearance in again. Her hair pulled back because of it's disheveled look. Her skin still had smudges of soot. And her lips were chapped from the dehydration and smoke. He could only assume he looked no better. His thumb brushed against her cheek, rubbing away one streak of ash.

Avery smirked at the gesture. She pulled his hand away from her face to hold in her own. "I'm probably a mess." She laughed lightly. The sound was like wind chimes to Kol, flooding a wave of content from hearing it.

"It doesn't matter." He defended. "You still look beautiful." Avery was surprised by how genuine the comment sounded. His usual charm was completely missing from it. His truest things were said only to her.

"I can still smell it on me." Avery said as she looked down at her tattered clothes. She sighed and then thought of something. For once, she was wearing the mischievous smirk instead of him. Avery got up from the couch and walked unhurriedly to his bathroom. His eyes narrowed, unaware at what she was doing.

Kol heard the shower start and then the door opened. Avery peeked her head around the corner. He was only able to see her neck and shoulders, which then made him comprehend that she was completely unclothed.

"Are you joining me or what?" Avery raised an eyebrow at him. Kol shook his head at her methods. She never failed to surprise him.

There was no reason for them to feel guilty about having a moment of their own. By some miracle, everyone they cared about had made it out alive. Others would not have found themselves as lucky. Avery knew she would go insane if her thoughts remained on what could have happened that night. They both needed a release and a reminder that they still had one another. Kol was at the door in vampire speed, looking as entertained as ever.

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**So I tried to make this chapter as visual as possible. So let me know if i did that well lol**

**Review? please?**


	34. Chapter 34

**Music**

**Black Tables - Other Lives** (Waking Up)**  
****Your Ghost - Greg Laswell **(Hayley)

**Draw Your Swords - Angus & Julia Stone **(Elijah/Kol)

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Avery's shaking awaked Kol. His eyes shot open. The first thing he saw was her face filled with worries and concern. He looked down at himself to see that his entire body was broken into a sweat. For the first time, he felt hot. It was almost as if he were sick. But Kol couldn't even remember the feeling from when he was human. But then again, he couldn't remember hardly anything from then.

"I think you were having a nightmare." Avery stated as soon as she saw that he was fully awake. He could hear her pulse calm down. _Nightmare?_ He questioned. Remembering dreams was a rarity for him. He wasn't even sure if he had them as a vampire anymore. Avery put her palm gently on his forehead. He was warm for a vampire but not for a human. But she remembered him saying that vampires couldn't get sick. Kol grabbed her hand and kissed it as he sat up.

"I'm fine." He assured her. But she wasn't convinced. Kol glanced at the clock to see it was only 3 o'clock in the morning.

"Are you feeling alright?" Avery whispered. The thin sheet from his bed was the only thing covering both their bodies, yet Kol had broke out in a sweat. Avery's gaze suddenly went distant. He could tell she was thinking about something.

Without saying a word, she had jumped out of bed, grabbing and putting on some of Kol's clothes. "Where are you going?" Kol questioned. He wanted to convince her that he was perfectly okay and it was probably just some strange side effects to the fire.

Avery shook her head. "Something isn't right." She was out the door before Kol could figure out where she was going. At vampire speed, he jumped out of bed. He went to the bathroom and splashed freezing cold water on his face. He looked up at the mirror and saw no signs that anything had changed in him. His head shook at the confusion and he quickly put on a pair of sweatpants, leaving his chest uncovered. Kol listened for Avery and heard her walking toward the other wing of the house. The only people that were there was Elijah and Hayley. His room was conveniently on the opposite side of the house.

In a second, Kol was at Avery's side as she continued walking toward Elijah's room. She didn't jump at his presence, fully knowing that he would catch up to her eventually. Kol was about to ask what she was trying to do when he heard something coming from his brother's room. It was coughing, rough breathing, sounds that indicated someone was severely sick inside.

The noises were so loud that even Avery could hear them as she knocked on the door. Elijah was there in an instant. She took in his appearance. His suit jacket was off, his sleeves rolled up, and his tie loosened slightly. Just like earlier in the night, he was unkempt. It still was a strange thing for her to see. But once Avery got past his clothing, she could see the anxiety in Elijah's eyes. It was also a rarity.

"What's happening?" Avery gasped. She stood on her toes to try and see over Elijah's shoulder at Hayley. Kol's eyes narrowed, waiting for his brother to respond.

"She woke up and started coughing blood. Her temperature is unusually high. I…I don't know-." Elijah didn't even how to finish his thoughts. He'd never seen anything like it in a vampire.

Avery gave him a sympathetic look. "Can I come in?" She asked lightly. It took a moment for Elijah to hear her question. He pushed open the door further to let her in. But he stood in place, staring into space. Kol only watched as Avery rushed into the room. Hayley lay on her side, facing the door. Her face was uncommonly pale, even for a vampire. His vision allowed him to see the beads of sweat across her skin. Kol looked away to stare at his brother. Elijah looked completely lost and completely unaware of how to help.

Kol gently placed his hand on his shoulder. It was the most comforting gesture he'd ever exchanged with his brother. But he couldn't even imagine what he was going through. Then, he suddenly thought of something else. "Caroline." He muttered before disappearing to Klaus' bedroom. He opened the door to see Klaus kneeling at his bed, Caroline's hand in his own. The young vampire seemed asleep at first, but Kol could then recognize her abnormal symptoms. Klaus glared up at him. Kol's brow creased at finding Caroline in the same condition as Hayley. It was strange to find Klaus' expression almost exact to Elijah's: worried, powerless, and almost desperate.

Kol tried to put the pieces together and figure out what all of it meant. He left Klaus alone, knowing that his brother didn't want to be seen in such condition. Kol wandered back into Elijah's room. His brother was now sitting upright in the bed with Hayley in his arms. Her eyes were closed as she struggled to breath. There was a red rag in Elijah's hands. It took Kol a moment to realize it was that color because it was covered in blood. Avery's eyes immediately locked with Kol's the moment he slowly walked into the room.

"Caroline is in the same state." Kol muttered quietly.

Avery shook her head as she continued to think. "It had to be the fire."

Elijah looked at Avery, considering what she said. "But my brothers and I remain unharmed by its effects." He pointed out.

"Yes, but you're originals. Almost nothing can kill you. That fire was not normal. It basically made Kol sick because he was encased by it longer than you or Klaus. The idea of it killing normal vampires by just its contact really isn't that bizarre." Avery stopped for a moment, realizing she just said it would kill normal vampires right in front of Hayley. But when she glanced over at the vampire, Hayley was completely unaware of the conversations going on. It seemed she was in too much pain to follow along with anything around her.

"It's the only thing that seems logical." Kol agreed. "I will go get blood." He informed them as he started for the door again.

Avery jumped up from her spot on the bed. "No! They know all of you will need to drink after tonight. They'll probably have countless hunters waiting at the hospital." Elijah glanced at his brother. He knew Avery was right. It was a move the hunters expect. "I have to call Bonnie." She quickly left the room.

Twenty minutes later, Bonnie arrived. For some reason, Stefan and Elena came along too. Kol watched them enter, guessing they had concern for Caroline. Stefan glanced up Kol, who was observing them from the upstairs catwalk. Stefan carefully walked up the stairs. He handed the original the backpack he'd brought. Kol looked at him perplexed. Then he unzipped it to find a dozen blood bags tossed inside. Kol looked back up at Stefan. He couldn't thank him. It would be too unlike himself. But Stefan seemed to know this because he didn't look like he expected any thanks or signs of appreciation. Kol walked away and headed toward Elijah's room. Avery was still downstairs with Elena, about to take her to Klaus' room to see Caroline. The mansion seemed to have turned into a hospital.

Kol found Rebekah sitting on the floor of an empty hallway on the way to Elijah's bedroom. She refused to see either Hayley or Caroline. She didn't understand it. Why everyone had to try and kill them for something they never had control over. Hayley was like a sister to her. She couldn't even think about her dying in such a manner. And Rebekah loved Klaus too much for her own good. She didn't want to think about the person he would become if Caroline died too.

Stefan and Bonnie lingered behind Kol as he handed a blood bag for Elijah to give to Hayley. Bonnie's hand went over her mouth when she saw the condition the young vampire was in. She didn't think anything like it was possible.

"Can you do anything?" Stefan whispered to Bonnie. She looked up at him with fear. She honestly didn't know.

"I don't even know the spell that she used. I can't undo a spell without being familiar with the original one." Bonnie informed them all.

"Well, then, you better start looking for it." A dark voice said behind them. They all looked to see that Klaus was standing behind them. When he heard them arrive, he made sure to give the witch instructions of his own.

"Or what, you'll threaten to kill me or someone I care about?" Bonnie snapped. "I don't have a reason to help any of you. Remember, you're the only reason my mother was turned into a vampire."

"Then why are you here?" Kol shot.

"Because Avery asked me to come. I'm here to help Caroline." Bonnie glanced at Hayley who was shivering against Elijah. "If I help her, it's because she deserves it. Not any of you. I want to make that clear."

"Well, well, well, look at the young witch taking charge. She claims she's done being pushed around by the likes of us." Klaus said darkly.

"Niklaus, stop it." Elijah quickly commanded sternly. He didn't want his brother ruining any chances of Bonnie helping them. They didn't have any time to find another witch that was capable of what they needed. Klaus locked eyes with his older brother. He left the room a second later, not trusting himself to stop saying anything else that would ruin their chances.

Avery leaned against the doorway now. She'd left Elena to take care of Caroline. She locked eyes with Kol. "Can I talk to you for a second?" She asked him quietly. No one else noticed the seriousness in her voice but him. They went back to Kol's room. His arms were crossed, waiting for her to begin talking. "I have to find the witch." Avery stated.

"What are you talking about?" Kol asked angrily.

"It's too dangerous for anyone else to go. They will kill any vampire on the spot." She ran her fingers through her hair. "We both know Bonnie won't figure out the spell…at least not quickly enough." A sadness suddenly filled Avery's eyes. "There's no point in lying. They're going to die if we don't do something."

Kol roughly grabbed Avery's shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Avery, you can't honestly expect me to let you risk your life for them. It's not your responsibility to save them." He almost growled. It wasn't because he was angry with her, but because a part of him knew she was the only one that could go to the hunters. "You've betrayed their trust forever. I wouldn't put it past them to try and kill you after you ruined their plan to massacre every vampire." He added.

"I think they have a code. They won't kill their own kind." Avery stated.

"You think to highly of them, Avery."

"What other choice do I have?" She whispered. "I know you can't stand the thought of Hayley dying. And I don't even want to think about what will happen to Klaus if Caroline dies."

"You owe my brother nothing. Not after what he did to you." Kol snapped. He pinched the bride of his nose. "Even if I do let you go, Aradia won't undo the spell. She hates vampires more than Bonnie. You have nothing to offer her."

Avery thought about that. Kol was right; she didn't have anything to give the witch that would make her remove the spell. But then her eyes widened. "What about Bonnie? What if she offers herself to them? There's no way they won't deny another witch. The more magic, the more powerful they are!" She started gaining hope that she might have somewhat of a plan.

"They won't fall for that trick again. They'll know she doesn't actually want to join them." Kol argued. Avery sighed, knowing he was right.

"We have to talk to Bonnie." She added quietly. But when she said 'we' she really meant herself. Bonnie didn't like Kol. She didn't like any of the originals. If they were going to make a plan, Avery was the person that needed to talk to her.

A few minutes later, Avery found Bonnie sitting outside of Elijah's bedroom, on the floor and against the wall. Avery could immediately tell that the witch had no idea how to help. This was dark magic that Bonnie still feared. If she became consumed by it, there was a chance she couldn't get back out.

"I don't know what to do." Bonnie put her hands over her face, hiding her hysterics from Avery. This was just another time when everything fell on her shoulders. She was the witch that was forced to help the vampires of Mystic Falls.

Avery slid down and put her arm around Bonnie's shoulders. "We're going to think of something." She whispered to her friend.

"They're going to die because of me." Bonnie sobbed into her shoulder.

"I have an idea. But I don't know if it will work." Avery muttered, trying anything to give her friend some kind of hope. Bonnie finally showed her face, waiting for some sort of explanation. Avery then went into detail about her idea. "But…there's no way they will trust you." She finished, pointing out the biggest flaw in her so-called plan.

Bonnie's eyes were distant, thinking about a solution. She turned to Avery. "We have to give them something." She confirmed.

"Like what?" Avery asked exasperated.

"You're not going to like it. But it will work."

* * *

The sun was just rising when Kol left Avery alone in his room. She was asleep on his bed. It was the first time her expression was relaxed that night. But Kol couldn't find rest like she could. He paused for a moment right before he left his bedroom. He took her in, wishing that this were what it could be like all the time. But it was a fool's wish. Kol knew what he was, and he also knew that simplicity was something vampires were never allowed. He gently closed the door behind him, making sure not to wake her up with the noise.

Kol quietly walked to Elijah's room. He knew his brother would be awake and watching over Hayley. He didn't bother knocking on the door. It wasn't exactly something he did ever. Elijah glanced at him, hardly caring about his presence.

"You look awful." Kol pointed out to his older brother. And it was true. Elijah was completely disheveled with his hair messy and clothes disordered. It almost made him look human. But Elijah ignored the comment. He was in no mood for teasing or jokes. Kol's smirk disappeared at his failed attempt to lighten the mood.

Kol glanced at a few empty blood bags on the floor. Elijah caught what he was looking at. "I believed they were working at first. But the blood just ended up making it worse. She coughed it all out before he could do her any good. She couldn't keep it down." Elijah said hopelessly.

Kol looked at his older brother with pure sympathy. "We're going to find a way to save her, Elijah. I promise you." He muttered softly.

Elijah only nodded his head, completely uncomforted by the promise. "We should have never come back here." He stated darkly. There were few times in his immortality when he didn't have a plan or wasn't one step ahead. That's what made it so hard for him to stand by and watch the girl he loved slowly die in his arms. Helplessness was not something Elijah, or the other originals, were familiar with.

Kol only looked at the ground after hearing the remark. He knew it was true. No one would have been able to predict the difference in outcome if him and Hayley had never returned to Mystic Falls. "No one is giving up, Elijah. That means you can't either." He pointed out.

"And what is this brilliant plan of yours?" Elijah asked as he continued to watch over Hayley. He only slightly cared if Kol answered his question.

"The less you know about it, the more of a chance we have of it actually working." Kol informed his brother. All he wanted Elijah to worry about was taking care of Hayley. If he did tell him the plan, there was no way he wouldn't try and stop all of them from going through with it.

* * *

**SO kind of a different chapter...thoughts?**


	35. Chapter 35

**Ok friends, this chapter is over twice as long as the usual. ENJOY ;)**

**Oh and the music is ideal for this chapter. I highly recommend listening to it as you read.**

**Music**

**This Place Is A Prison - The Postal Service **(Plan)

**Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking - Snow Patrol **(Aradia)

**So Cold (feat. Nikisha Reyes) - Ben Cocks **(Henry Phillips)

**The Lake - Aqualung **(Ben)

**Lost Along the Way - ****John Nordstrom **(After Math)

* * *

Avery had gone over the plan multiple times with Bonnie. They were now both convinced that everyone was on the same page. Then Avery suddenly thought of something that could ruin everything.

"Last time, Aradia knew things she shouldn't. It was almost like she could read our minds. What if she figures out what we're trying to do?" Avery questioned. But Bonnie was already shaking her head.

"I can protect you spiritually. She won't be able to access any of those emotions, thoughts, or ideas. It's a simple spell." She reassured Avery.

"Ok. We have to go soon. I don't know how much longer Hayley and Caroline have." Avery whispered. She quickly saw something in Bonnie's expression. The young witch had a moment of weakness escape and Avery caught it. "Bonnie…" She started, causing her to look up. "…You don't have to do this, you know. Everyone constantly leaves these things up to you, but you have a choice."

"What am I supposed to do, Avery? Am I supposed to stand by and watch, knowing I have the power to help? I don't have a choice. I never do. I have to help my friends." Bonnie declared clearly. Avery only nodded, seeing there was no way she could convince her friend otherwise. Maybe Bonnie was right; maybe she really didn't have a choice. Avery wondered if she'd ever be in the same position.

"So is everything set then?" Avery questioned, immediately wanting to change the subject back to business. Bonnie nodded her head.

"Once I'm close enough and we bring up the spell, she'll have no choice but to think about it. I'll be able to sense the spell and extract it. Then figure out how to reverse it. Got it?" Bonnie asked. Avery nodded her head.

"Have you seen Kol? I have to say bye." Avery muttered nervously. She hadn't seen him since she'd found Bonnie. She looked over at her friend, wondering if she'd seen him. But Bonnie only shrugged. He knew about their plan and made his opinions on it very clear. Avery tried not to take it harshly. He was only concerned for her safety. That was probably why he wasn't there. His stubbornness took over, proving he wasn't going to support Avery putting herself in such danger.

"Avery." Bonnie brought her out of her thoughts. "We have to go. We can't waste any more time." She stated. Avery nodded, knowing she was right.

When they walked outside, Matt's truck pulled around the circular driveway. Avery looked at Matt and then Bonnie. "What is he doing here?" Avery questioned.

Bonnie remained calm, as if she didn't know Avery wasn't aware he was part of the plan. "We're going to need him. Trust me." She informed her. But there was no time to question the sudden change. Avery just shrugged her shoulders and got into the car. Her mind was already on the task at hand.

Bonnie was able to track the hunters by looking for Aradia's aura. Throughout the drive, Matt didn't say a word. Avery sat in the pick-up truck between him and Bonnie. She was about to ask Matt if he was okay. But then she wondered if he was being that way because he was scared. She didn't want to point it out, so she let him relax in his silence. Instead, she placed her hand on his forearm, reassuringly. He glanced over at her with a somewhat jumbled expression.

Avery was confused as she looked ahead when the car stopped. The car's headlights lit the edge of a forest. A short field was the only thing separating them from the line of trees. Avery had expected some sort of abandoned house as their hideout, not the middle of nowhere. _Did they live in the woods?_ She pondered.

"Where are they?" She asked them nervously.

"They're here. Just wait." Bonnie said as she stared ahead. Avery looked back at the forest and did as she was told. A few seconds later, she saw shadows moving in between trees. There were only a few of them that emerged. It looked like just a dozen of them were standing under the trees. Avery wondered how many of them were even left after all the slaughtering. She never wanted this to be a war, for lives to be lost. But that was the path the hunters had chose.

Avery immediately picked out Ben and his father, and then Aradia stood close to them. Her loyalty clearly showed. Bonnie glanced at her friends, taking in a deep breath. "Are you guys ready for this?" She asked them. Avery and Matt still stared at the enemy. A few seconds later, both nodded in unison.

The three of them got out of the car. They left yards between them and the hunters, not trusting that they would attack them at any moment. Avery looked over to see Matt wasn't standing along side them. Instead, he was getting something from the bed of his truck. She realized she'd never even looked back there before getting into the car. She shook her head and looked forward once again.

"How dishonorable. You help the very species that has harmed our kind for centuries." Aradia spoke directly to Bonnie. Avery looked over to see that her friend held her head high. "The witch who lost everyone because of vampires. Yet still obeys them like a wretched slave." The dark witch added.

"You're right." Bonnie stated after a stroke of silence. Avery's brow furrowed. This wasn't what they had talked about. "My loyalty to vampires has put everyone I care about in danger. My mother was taken from me, my two best friends…all I've earned is pain." Bonnie allowed herself to glance over at Avery for a split second. "That's why I offer you this." She gestured behind her. Avery turned to see Matt rolling a coffin toward them. What was going on? This wasn't what they were supposed to do. The plan had been made very clear and this was not it. "I'm done being pushed around by the originals. I gained the trust of one, only to desiccate him and give him up as a proposition." Bonnie said darkly.

Avery's heart thumped against her chest as she tried to figure out what was going on. She stared at the coffin. A part of her didn't want to see what was inside. But Matt opened it to expose Kol. His body was in the same state as when he'd been daggered: skin grey, eyes closed, completely lifeless. Avery felt like she was going to be sick. Her bottom lip trembled as she stared at what was basically Kol's corpse. Had Bonnie's use of dark magic turned her against all of them? How could Matt help with such betrayal? Avery trusted them and they had deceived her.

"An original for you to kill." Bonnie stated smoothly. Aradia's eyes almost seem to glow at seeing an original being given so easily to her.

"NO!" Avery screamed. "How could you, Bonnie?" She ran for the coffin that Matt had placed only a few yards away from her and Bonnie. But Matt already expected the move. He wrapped his arms around, binding her small body to his muscular chest. She could feel his strength as she fought to get out of his hold. Tears poured from Avery's eyes. She had prepared herself to be strong, but never for this. Her legs gave out as she slumped to the ground. But even then, Matt refused to let her go. "This is what you planned all along." Avery whispered. Bonnie turned to face her, but refused to show any emotion. That was when Avery realized Bonnie didn't care about saving Hayley's life, or Kol's. She would do whatever it took to save Caroline. She didn't owe anything to any original.

"I did what I had to in order to save my friend." Bonnie claimed. She turned her attention away from Avery to regard the hunters. "I give you this original if you give me the spell and remedy for the sickness of my friend, Caroline." She proposed.

Henry Phillips took a step forward. He clapped his hands slow and sinisterly. "Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie…I am amazed, truly." His eyes looked between Avery and Bonnie. "You betray one friend in order to save another." He looked at Aradia as he thought to himself. "We will give you the cure on behalf of Caroline for the original. You have yourself a deal." His smile was anything but cheerful.

"NO!" Avery sobbed. A new surge of energy rushed through her body as she tried to break free and run to Kol. She wouldn't let them take him. She wouldn't let them kill him right in front of her.

But Matt's hold tightened even more. Avery could feel his mouth go to her ears. "It was always part of the plan." He whispered to her. Shivers went up her spine at hearing him speak. He didn't sound like Matt.

"Please, Matt. Please…let me go." Avery whispered pathetically. But he didn't loosen his grip at her pleas. Her eyes widened when she saw Aradia slowly walking toward the coffin. Avery switched her attention to Bonnie. "If you let them do this…it won't just be Hayley that will die. Hundreds will die with them. You're starting genocide, Bonnie." She gaped at the witch, waiting for her to show any signs of remorse or cold feet.

"Exactly. It's what I want." Bonnie muttered.

Avery once again turned her attention at Aradia, who was only a foot from the coffin. Avery's heart raced as she saw the purple flames dancing around the witch's hands. Then Aradia locked eyes with her as she danced her fingers around the edges of the wood coffin. She was teasing Avery with her magic. The fire consumed her hand but she hadn't allowed it to catch onto anything yet.

"They killed your parents, yet you continue to risk your life to save them." Henry Phillips pointed out to Avery. His eyes were filled with pleasure as he saw the pain she was in at the sight of them killing an original.

Avery glared at him. "It wasn't him that murdered my parents and brother." She stated harshly. "Humans kill people every day. Does that mean you're going to kill that entire class too?" Avery mocked him; her eyes were red from the tears that she'd run out of. Her body was too in shock at the events about to occur to actually produce any more. "Humans have done all the things vampires have." She finished.

Henry's smile disappeared and his eyes narrowed. Aradia watched him closely; she seemed to be waiting for some kind of cue to continue. "They've completely brainwashed you into believing they deserve to survive." He said in awe. "He's lived for over a thousand years. He had his chance and he ruined it. They've all lived long enough!" Henry pointed aggressively at Kol's lifeless body. But he shook his head, calming himself down. He didn't understand how he could allow her comments to get to him so easily. He made eye contact with Aradia and then nodded his head. It was the only signal the witch needed.

"WAIT STOP! STOP!" Avery yelled helplessly at the top of her lungs. But Aradia had already thrown a ball of flame at Kol's body. It exploded across him. Seconds later, his entire body was immersed in neon purple flames.

Matt finally let Avery go as she sobbed into her hands. "No, no, no." She kept repeating to herself. She would have done absolutely anything to save him, anything. But there was nothing left. Any chance of saving him had never even been an option. Bonnie had betrayed her and the original family. Her friends chose Caroline over Kol and Hayley. Avery loathed herself for trusting and seeing the best in them. She sat on her knees with her arms limply at her sides.

Avery didn't bother watching the surroundings. Her eyes only rested on a patch of dried grass as her thoughts were everywhere but there. Her heartbeat pulsated in her eardrums, blocking the sound of the crackling fire. Her mind was shut off. It was all happening over again. She'd lost her family, and now she lost Kol too. The family she tried to rebuild for herself was destroyed before she could see them as such. What had she done to deserve all of them being taken away? She began to question if this life was even worth surviving. Her mind started racing through all the ways she could get herself killed right at that moment. She just couldn't see the point in fighting life when all it did was throw loss and mourning at her. The idea of joining her family and Kol sent a wave of peace over her.

It wasn't even the abrupt change in lighting that brought Avery's attention back to reality. There was suddenly a ringing in her ears. _You're stronger than this._ A voice echoed so much in her head that she almost couldn't make out the words. "Mom?" She whispered. But the voice didn't come back. Then Avery became ultrasensitive to everything around her. She questioned why she felt so much hotter. Her eyes finally dragged away from the ground directly in front of her. A circle of fire encased both her and all the hunters. But it wasn't Aradia's fire. This was normal orange and yellow burning that danced around them naturally. Avery's eyes narrowed in confusion, but she didn't even care. Perhaps this was the death she had been wishing for. Then the voice she swore was her mother's echoed in her head. The whispers almost stung like a headache.

Avery finally forced herself to actually look around her. There were blurs that rushed past her. She assumed they were vampires, but she didn't bother trying to figure out who they were. It didn't matter, none of it did. But then she saw that Aradia had been dragged away from Kol and the casket. Damon Salvatore had the witch's head in his grip. They were close enough that Avery was able to hear what they were about to say.

"Go ahead, kill me. It won't stop the magic. I will just continue it from the other side." Aradia encouraged him. She laughed in the most sinister way.

But Damon smirked down at her. "Oh, how I love being underestimated." He glanced over at Bonnie. "This isn't the first time I've done this. I don't plan on killing you…yet." Before Aradia could predict what he was about to do, Damon's fangs bit into his wrist. He shoved his dripping blood into the witch's mouth. There was no way she could stop it. Avery wondered why she didn't use her strong magic to defend herself. Then she noticed Bonnie. She was concentrated on Aradia as if she was casting a spell on her. Avery realized she was blocking the dark witch from using any magic to defend herself or use on Damon. Avery turned her attention back on the two. As soon as Damon was satisfied that Aradia had swallowed a mouth full of his blood, he snapped her neck like a twig. He could have done it in a way that practically made it painless. But she didn't deserve it. Damon made sure she suffered the moment before her transition began.

"Now I can look forward to sticking a stake through your heart." Damon chided at the witch's corpse. He looked up at Avery, noticing that she had witnessed the whole ordeal. He winked at her before racing into another part of the enclosed circle of fire. That was when Avery noticed the battle that had somehow broken out without her perceiving it. Even with the vampire's enhanced speed, she was able to pick out Damon, Stefan, and her eyes narrowed when she swore she saw Klaus and Rebekah on the other side of the huge circle. But Avery's attention was diverted when her eyes fell on Matt. He grasped the edge of Kol's coffin, completely ignoring the roaring neon flames.

"BONNIE!" Matt growled. It caught Avery off guard. Matt didn't yell and he certainly didn't growl at anyone. Who was this stranger that also felt so familiar to Avery? She looked at Bonnie to see how she handled the outburst. But the witch had already started murmuring incantations. Avery's jaw dropped as she saw the flames get smaller and smaller. The amazement of it all caused Avery to stand up and slowly walk toward the coffin. She stood at the edge of it, on the opposite side of Matt. The fire was still diminishing until it evaporated completely.

"What? It's not possible…what's…what's happening?" Avery gasped, too astonished to actually say what her mind was thinking. It only continued as she watched Kol's body slowly started to heal itself. The burns became reduced and restored. The dried out veins started replenishing and his grey skin received color, all while Bonnie continued to chant her spells.

"Kol?" Avery whispered. Hope had somehow found her once again. Her eyes moved up to Matt who was staring at her in a way Matt never would. That was when it hit her. "Kol." She repeated, more assured this time. His mouth fell into a smirk; but it wasn't Matt's, it was Kol's. Avery was about to scream out but Matt's eyes rolled to the back of his head the second before he collapsed to the ground.

Avery inhaled in horror at the sight. But before she could rush over to Matt…or Kol…whoever it was, someone yanked her from behind. She yelped at the pain as they dragged her by a handful of hair. Then she was whipped around to see her offender. Henry Phillips had one of his hands around her neck while the other held both of her own hands together. It pulled Avery away from seeing that Kol was gradually awakening from his desiccation.

"Do you realize what you've done?" He yelled at her. But there was never any intention on her speaking. With the grip he had on her throat, it was impossible. "You've slaughtered an entire clan of vampire hunters. Humans…you helped them kill humans. Your mother and father would be ashamed!" He spat.

Before Avery died of suffocation, someone shoved Henry enough to make him lose his grip around her throat. She breathed in and out deeply despite the pain that followed. She looked up to see it was Ben who had saved her.

"You've gone too far, dad! We don't kill humans! We have a code!" He shouted over the noise of everything going around them. His eyes were filled of rage. It was like he'd woken up from his daze, finally seeing again.

"You choose her, a traitor, over your own family. They are all dead! And you dishonor their sacrifice by choosing her?" His father yelled back.

Ben didn't look at Avery as he continued. "I'm not choosing her." He stated evenly. "I'm choosing to end this. There's been enough death. I never wanted this…any of this. I was forced into it. And now it's over." Ben held up his hands in surrender at his father before turning to walk away from him.

"You were always so weak, Benjamin. I gave you a chance to prove yourself and this is what you choose to do with it." Henry snarled as his son slowly began to abandon him. But then his eyes fell on Avery. There was such hatred as he interpreted her as the only reason any of this was happening. "This is the last time you will ever interfere." He said to her as his hands reached behind him. Avery stared in horror as she saw a gun now in his hands. She slowly backed away, even though she knew there was no way of escaping it.

The click of the notch made Avery shut her eyes. They closed tightly as she heard the trigger pulled and a loud crack when the bullet was released. But she felt no pain. Maybe death was so quick that she was already gone. She opened her eyes, half expecting to be in some sort of afterlife. But instead, she saw someone standing directly in front of her. Ben had thrown himself between her and his father at the last moment, taking the bullet that was intended for her. He fell to his knees and his back almost slammed back to the ground if it weren't for Avery catching him.

At the same moment the gun had been fired, Kol had fully awoken from his desiccation. One second sooner and he could have saved Avery himself. He escaped the coffin in time to see Sheriff Phillips take his father's bullet, sparing Avery's life.

Ben now lay in Avery's lap with a wound a small space away from his heart. But there was no way it wouldn't kill him. He was allowed only a few moments of life before death consumed him entirely. Avery looked up, expecting Henry Phillips to fire another bullet at her again. But Elijah had intervened, arriving out of nowhere. He grabbed the gun from Henry's hands and broke the weapon between his hands like it was a stick.

"Here to seek your vengeance for your dying girlfriend?" Henry taunted. He was about to be a murderer of his own son and become the last of his clan. He would say whatever he could to make his death memorable.

Elijah said nothing as his eyes narrowed. This pitiable human wasn't worthy of his words. Then Kol was at his brother's side, suddenly. In a blink of an eye, he was behind Henry, stopping him from walking back any further. Kol grabbed his arms and wrapped them behind his back, completely exposing Henry.

Kol moved his mouth to his victim's ear. "I warned you. My brother doesn't like his things touched. You've brought a death wish onto yourself. But after what you did to Avery, I won't allow him to kill you so quickly." Kol whispered disturbingly. He smirked when he heard Henry's heartbeat racing at the threat. _Such a coward,_ he thought to himself.

Kol locked his eyes with Elijah's. The older original stepped forward slowly, not completely closing the distance until he could read the utter terror in his victim's eyes. Henry fought against Kol's hold, which gained him a broken wrist. He cried out in pain. "Don't move." Kol murmured. It was his last and only warning. But Henry Phillips refused to die without a fight. He thrashed against the hold again. Kol broke both of his legs, with a mere kick of his foot, as a result.

Avery held her breath as she watched, waiting for it all to be over with. She jumped with every cry Henry made from Kol breaking another one of his bones. Then Elijah's hand flew into Henry's chest. He pulled it out with a heart in his grasp. Avery gasped at the sight. The organ dripped blood the moment before Elijah dropped it to the ground as if it were the most meaningless thing in the world. Kol let go of Henry Phillips now lifeless body. It plummeted to the ground, with his eyes still open and staring up at the sky.

With his corpse only a few feet away, Avery pulled her attention away from him and put it all on Ben. Her palm was placed over his heart, feeling it slowly get weaker and weaker. "Why did you do that?" She whispered at him. Elijah and Kol stood by, silently watching the exchange.

"I'm the sheriff. I'm supposed to protect the citizens of Mystic Falls." Somehow, he was able to joke through his body's numbness. His voice was coarse and dry, using up the last bits of oxygen he had. Avery was able to sadly smile at him, even though the tears that slid down her cheeks. "Hey…" He stated as he spotted them. "It's ok. Everything is going to be ok."

Avery shook her head and glanced down at the wound. She had one of her hands covering it, hoping it would stop him from bleeding out and dying faster. Her eyes widened, remembering Kol and Elijah stood a mere few feet away. "Kol…Kol, please, your blood." She begged him. He hesitated a second before kneeling down at her side and biting into his wrist. But Ben was already shaking his head. It wasn't what he wanted.

"Please drink it." Avery whispered. "You don't have to die. It can save you." But she saw in his eyes that he wasn't persuaded. "Do you really hate them so much that you won't become one in order to live?" She questioned.

"No. I don't hate them." Ben allowed a quick glance at Kol, who was backing away from him. Kol would leave Avery alone with him. He had no place there. "I don't deserve it." Ben said. He saw her open her mouth to argue but he cut her off before she could start. "Avery, I'm sorry for everything. I'm so sorry." She swore she saw the last bit of life vanish from his eyes. Her palm could no longer feel a heartbeat of any sort. He was gone.

Avery glanced up at Kol, her eyes gazing at him through tears. She couldn't even be relieved and overjoyed with his survival. There was too much death around her. She looked back down at Ben, who still lay in her lap. She expected him to wake up somehow, showing some sort of miracle.

"Avery." Kol said gently. She hadn't noticed him move to her side. He wrapped his arms around her, helping her up off the ground. Just a few minutes ago, he was using them to torture Henry Phillips. Now it was his only tool of comfort. Avery fell into his embrace, not just for comfort but also for reassurance that he was very much alive. She didn't know how long they stayed like. But it made everything else go away just for a few short seconds.

Avery pulled away, but held onto Kol's hand. She allowed herself to look around. The circle of fire was still lit, but it was more relaxed and less threatening, showing that the battle was over. The last of the hunter clan rested before her: all of them dead. Amongst them was Aradia, who was now transitioning into a vampire. Later, she would wake up and feel no magic anymore; becoming the very thing she hated most in the world.

Bonnie was at Matt's side. He was just waking up from collapsing. Avery understood that Bonnie had put Kol in his body, to protect him and all the vampires that were his descendants. She wasn't a traitor after all. Instead, she had risked the most out of all of them.

Kol saw Avery staring at the two. "I'm sorry we all lied to you. But it was the only way." He muttered softly to her. There he was again, saying sorry when he was the person who never apologized. Apparently, everyone knew of the plan, except for Avery. They did it to protect her and because her reaction had to be genuine. Otherwise, all of them would have died the second the hunters read Bonnie's bluff.

"Is everyone alright?" Avery rasped. She was still in shock from everything that happened. It was so rapid and unexpected; her mind was struggling to process all of it at the moment. But then she realized what she was asking. Her eyes looked at Ben Phillips body. Of course everyone was not all right.

"Yes." Kol assured her. But when he said it, he was only talking about his family and Avery's friends. Now all of them gathered close by. Damon, Stefan, Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, Bonnie, and Matt. Elena was missing, but Avery didn't bother pointing it out. She was oblivious about the young vampire that watched over both Caroline and Hayley who were still fighting death at the mansion.

But the setting became too overwhelming, unexpectedly. Avery's body rushed into shock. She'd believed Kol was dead and then he was brought back to her. But not before her life was threatened at gunpoint and Sheriff Phillips sacrificed herself in order to save her from death. Her mind was starting to reject all the exploits and turns.

"Kol." She whispered, suddenly feeling sick. But before she could say anything else, her eyes rolled back and her body collapsed. Kol caught her easily, lifting her up into his arms. He knew she needed to get away from everything. He turned to face his siblings and gave them a prolonged gaze. It was the only sign any of them would show of relief that they all made it out alive. But what they were all thinking was that they loved one another, maybe not like other families. But they did love each other, more than anyone in Mystic Falls could ever grasp.

* * *

**I worked really hard on this chapter so I would really appreciate some feedback, questions, complaints, ABSOLUTELY anything! Review :D**


	36. Chapter 36

**Sorry this too longer than usual to put up. I'll be honest, the olympics have taken over my life. Go USA? lol**

**THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! All of you are amazing, truly. So this chapter is a little but shorter. But it's kind of a transition chapter, so yeah. Sorry. **

**Once again, I highly recommend the extremely depressing music I chose for this chapter lol. **

**Music  
**

**Moving On - Michael Giacchino** (Waking Up)

Tomorrow** Is Gonna Be Better - Joshua Radin **(Kol/Avery)

**The Baudelaire Orphans - Thomas Newman **(Funeral)

* * *

Avery heard everything around her before she saw it. The birds chirping outside, the leaves rustling from the slight breeze, and then the string for her blinds that continued to tap against the wood paneling. She was scared to open her eyes, convinced that it had all been a dream. She believed her parents and brother were still alive. And when she opened her eyes, she would be back in her room in Maine, not Mystic Falls. But then his name popped into her mind: Kol. She couldn't leave him behind. Even with her family back, she still needed him. If all of this had been a dream, she'd have to find him again. Even if her family were with her again, she still needed him. Because Avery loved Kol more than he would ever understand.

Avery's eyelids slowly opened. Her gaze immediately fell on Kol. His back was turned to her and he was staring outside one of her windows that looked out into the woods behind the house. He had on dark, fitted jeans that tucked into black leather boots and a loose black t-shirt. He looked so real.

"Kol." She whispered without meaning to. He instantly turned around. There was an expression of relief on his face at seeing her awake. Kol moved slowly toward the bed and sat on the edge.

Avery sat up and scooted closer to him. She ignored the blurriness and headache that followed the quick movement. Her palm lightly touched his cheek. "Am I dead?" She whispered, which earned her a smile from Kol.

"If you're dead, where would this be?" He questioned in amusement.

"Heaven." She confirmed with confidence.

Kol raised his eyebrows at her response. He moved closer so his forehead touched hers in the most intimate way. "If this were heaven, I don't consider I'd be here with you." He added. Avery smiled sadly a little at how serious he was being. Then she caught him by surprise with hugging him suddenly. She buried her face into his chest. He bent lower so his chin was in the crook of her neck, taking in her scent that he'd memorized. His grip was right around her small body. He never wanted to let go. All there was between the two of them was relief.

After a few minutes, Avery reluctantly pulled away. Both of her hands went on either side of his face. "Don't ever do anything like that again." She said so dark and stern. Any smirk Kol had left had now disappeared. He nodded, fully aware how much he had scared her. It was obvious Avery believed that he'd truly died.

"Is she dead?" Avery whispered. There was no need for saying the witch's name. Who else would she be asking about? The question was filled with hope and fear. She felt guilty for feeling the first one.

"Damon was the one to do it." Kol immediately replied. "Klaus was there to witness it himself. She's finished." Avery nodded, but she showed no joy at the news. How could she celebrate someone's killing? She wished it didn't have to end with her death, but there was no other way they could make sure everyone she cared about was safe. Aradia had been evil and there was no hope to try and change her mind about ending an entire species. She'd brought it onto herself.

Avery's eyes suddenly widened. "Hayley and Caroline!" She gasped. Her mind was starting to catch up on everything. The same worries and concerns from before were quickly flooding back to her.

Kol put both his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her down. "Avery, relax. All is fine." He kissed the top of her head. "Bonnie used a spell and made some sort of concoction. Elijah called to reassure that both of them were fine." He sighed. "They were all more worried about you then."

"Why were they worried about me?" She asked, her brow furrowing.

"You went through a lot. You were sleeping for almost a day." Kol informed her as she zoned out. He glanced at her bedroom door. "Meredith was here to check on you." Avery's head snapped up at his statement. "She asked me to tell you that she loves you very much and that she's considered starting to ground you with all the trouble you're getting into." He knew it would put a smile on her face.

"And she didn't try to kick you out?" Avery asked. She was significantly surprised, not for them having an actual conversation but also for Kol passing on a message from her aunt. But Kol just shook his head. A smile breamed across her face. She let out a deep sigh as her body relaxed against his. "It's actually over." She muttered softly, still not believing that they'd both survived.

Kol rubbed her back. "For now it is." His cynical answer didn't surprise Avery, but she didn't want to point it out. She knew he was right. There would always be someone trying to harm Kol and his family. But she didn't want to think about the problems ahead, only that they lived through this one.

"Do you want to go to the mansion?" Avery asked him. She assumed he wanted to re-gather with his family. Although he didn't say so, she knew he'd been with her the entire time she was sleeping. And she didn't want to keep him from his family. They were probably just relieved, as she was that he was okay.

"No. I don't." Kol replied clearly. "I just want to be with you." He told her. After a moment, Avery smiled at his response. She couldn't argue because she didn't want to. For the first time in awhile, they didn't want to worry about anyone. Everyone was safe. The war was over and they had won. Now, she just wanted to be with Kol and he just wanted to be with her. No other vampires, no witches, and no hybrids lingering over their heads…just the two of them being themselves.

* * *

Of course it had to be raining during Ben's funeral. But Avery dismissed the weather because it couldn't make the event any sadder than it already was. She looked around at all the black. This all felt too familiar. She started to feel like death was following her. And every time she got over the last person that was taken away, death tortured her with stealing someone else. Not that she ever really got over any one of her loved ones. She simply learned how to deal with it. But the whole thing was a cruel game that no one ever intended on playing.

Avery looked around the graveyard, her eyes scanning the grounds. She wished Kol were there to hold her hand, to comfort her. But he knew neither him nor any of his family belonged there. He never said it to her, but they both knew it. But Kol owed Ben so much more than Avery realized. Ben had saved her life while Kol was completely helpless. And for that, he could never repay him.

Even without Kol, Avery still had Bonnie and Matt on either side of her. They knew she had some sort of a friendship with Ben Phillips that neither of them ever did. Avery just wished she could have been there for him before he got in too deep. She wondered how much different his life would have been if he had been born into a different family. He deserved so much better than them. Ben had been kind and caring deep down, a loyal and good friend. And his family only buried all of it to substitute it was darkness and rage that was not his own.

Perhaps he would be at some top university, meeting his college sweetheart and being one of the star athletes. He would have been worrying about his next exam instead of killing vampires and trying to stay alive.

Avery looked across the small crowd that had gathered and noticed an older blonde woman in a police uniform. Matt had pointed her out to Avery earlier, explaining that it was Caroline's mom and she was the sheriff before Alaric had exposed her, the mayor, and anyone else that aided the supernatural. Avery immediately noticed the sheriff badge on her jacket. The metal shined and caught anyone's eye straightaway.

Apparently, she had been reinstated. Clearly things had gone on at the council they were yet informed about. None of them knew that the council had realized they were so mistaken. Trying to fight an original family of vampires caused more death than ignoring them like Mayor Lockwood and Sheriff Forbes had. Things had changed since their ancestors had passed on the council's legacy. The world was no what it once was. And the council's great and powerful plan exploded in their faces, leaving them nothing but dozens of corpses to account for. No one in town knew of Henry and the rest of his family's murder. Stories and explanations were being fabricated as the funeral took place. Avery only assumed the news would make its way out into the open sooner than later.

Mystic Falls almost felt like it was going back to a certain normalcy it once had long before Avery had arrived. But then again, that was an ignorant thing to think. There had been countless victims, teenagers turned into the paranormal, and problems, that no one should have had to deal with, could never be taken back. This town would never return to how it used to be before vampires invaded it.

The crowd started parting as the funeral came to a close. There was no one there for people to give their condolences to. Avery didn't know if Ben's mother was a hunter too or if she was even alive. She liked to think that his mother was where all the good in him came from. But Avery stopped thinking about it as her eyes stared at Ben's coffin slowly being lowered into the ground. She glanced up, her eyes slightly wet. But she wouldn't let herself cry again. She had dried herself of tears. Ben wouldn't want people to be sad, especially her.

Avery had a strange feeling, the one that she'd only started to get the night she arrived in Mystic Falls. Her eyes shot up and looked around the graveyard again, past all the people that had gathered around and were moving about. Almost instantly, she found Kol standing in the shadows of a small crypt. He was wearing a dark trench coat that made him blend in with his settings. His hair was soaking wet since he didn't have an umbrella. She somehow spotted him immediately once she got that weird feeling like someone was watching her. Even though he was dozens of yards away, she knew he saw her staring at him. Even though he wasn't actually there, he hid in the shadows, like a dark angel. It was what Kol was always doing: watching over her. Even if he wasn't right next her, Kol was with Avery in some way.

"Ready to go?" Bonnie asked Avery softly. The witch quickly glanced in Kol's direction, fast enough that Avery didn't even notice. She had sensed the vampire the moment he was at the cemetery. Avery nodded at Bonnie's question, realizing that Bonnie and Matt had been waiting for her to show some signs of wanting to leave with everyone else.

"I'll catch up with you guys." She muttered suddenly. They both nodded, understanding that she wanted a moment alone. Matt touched her shoulder in comfort before turning and walking toward the cars with Bonnie.

In just a few short moments, everyone had gone, leaving Avery alone with the newly covered grave. She knelt down, feeling too far away while she stood and gazed down at the dirt. "I realized recently that I never actually thanked you for saving my life." Her lower lip started shaking and her eyes started watering. "Thank you…Though, I wish you hadn't done it…that there was some way you were still here." Avery sighed as she wiped away a single tear that had escaped. "I'd like to think there's some place you've gone…if there is, I'm sure you've met my family and they've told you how grateful they are for you looking out for me." Avery slowly stood up now. "I'll miss you more than you know. And I'm sorry for everything."

A few seconds later, she felt someone standing next to her. She didn't have to look to know it was Kol. Avery recognized it was hard for him to understand. Vampires' didn't mourn the same way humans did, especially Kol. But he was so connected to her that somehow he felt everything she did. It didn't matter if he wasn't able to experience the same emotions. All that mattered to her was that he was there. She glanced at him, taking in how soaked he was from the rain. He didn't even seem to notice any of it.

"I'll see you later tonight." Avery muttered to him. Kol only nodded. She glanced behind them to see Bonnie and Matt were in the pick-up, patiently waiting for her. She started walking away but Kol gently grabbed her wrist. He pulled her into a hug, not sure what else to do to comfort her. After a moment, he finally let her go and saw the appreciation in her eyes. He watched her walk away from him, umbrella in hand.

Kol turned his attention to the grave in front of him. He'd never been to a funeral before. They hadn't even had one for his mother when she died a thousand years ago. The whole idea of burials made him rather uncomfortable. It was because he lacked respect and concern for the human life. But everything changed once he'd been awoken from his one hundred year sleep. And until now, he never would have even thought about attending one.

As Kol stared at Ben Phillips' grave, he didn't know what to do. "If you were still alive, I don't believe I would have been the better man and thanked you for saving her life. But after everything that has happened…" He paused, feeling ridiculous for talking to a mound of dirt. This was all too new to him. "Thank you. If it weren't for you, she'd be here instead."

Avery closed the car door. "You okay?" Matt asked her softly. She nodded her head and glanced at where she'd left Kol. But the grave now had no visitors.

* * *

**I kind of hope I made you guys cry...because that would mean I did good, right? Ok, maybe I'm just a horrible person. **


	37. Chapter 37

**So I updated really quickly because I won't be able to for awhile. I'm going to be at Lollapalooza all weekend. I won't even be near a computer. Sorry. But I tried to make up for it with this chapter :/**

**Music**

**Michicant (Bon Iver Cover) - Mree **(Matt/Avery)

**John Wayne Gacy, Jr. - Sufjan Stevens **(Visitor)

**We Float - Dustin O'Halloran **(Kol/Avery)

* * *

"Do we seriously have to watch baseball?" Avery whined to Matt. "It's honestly the most boring sport in the world." She sighed, which only got her an entertained smirk from him. Over time, Avery learned more and more about Matt's home life, whether it was from him or their friends. She made a point to ask him to hang out a lot, realizing that if he wasn't at work or with her, he was sitting at a house all by himself. Avery was constantly left alone from Meredith's busy schedule but she had Kol and her other friends. Matt never wanted anyone to know he was lonelier than he led on. His mother basically abandoned him. And he lost his sister to vampires just like she did with her family. His father was a mystery. No on in town really knew much about him. But recently, Avery had realized that both of their darks pasts might have been what made them friends in the first place. They knew what the other had gone through without ever directly talking about it.

"Baseball is great." Matt defended lamely. His large body took up the entire couch, forcing Avery to sit on the floor. She ripped the remote out of his hands. He let her; otherwise she never would have won it over.

"Well, it's my TV and I can't watch another second of it." Avery laughed.

"You're a horrible host." Matt pointed out.

"Yep." She smirked as she sped through hundreds of channels.

"So what is Dracula doing tonight?" Matt asked casually while his eyes stayed glued on the television screen. He'd made it clear long ago that he was not a fan of her boyfriend. But he knew Kol made Avery happier than he could ever understand.

Avery didn't hear the comment though. Something on the television caught her attention instead. It was one of those ridiculous reality shows on a sci-fi network. A group of people was trying to contact with ghosts and loved ones through ridiculous methods. For the first time since that night, Avery remembered the voice that had echoed in her head. The one she swore was her mother's.

Matt noticed the distant gaze she had, thinking it was from his question. "Avery?" He said slowly. "I was just kidding with the Dracula nickname." But she just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, showing that it wasn't what she was thinking about. "What is it?" He urged, seeing it was something entirely different.

Avery finally stopped spacing out and turned to face him. "It's nothing really…you'll probably think I'm crazy or something." She waited, seeing what his expression would turn into.

"Avery, you're kidding right?" He asked, stunned. But Avery's brow only furrowed. Matt smiled at her confusion. "We live in a town full of vampires, witches, and werewolves. Do you really think anything you have to say will come off as crazy?" He expected his answer to make her laugh. But Avery only looked even more lost in her thoughts.

"That night…" Avery began in a soft voice. "I just wanted to give up. I thought Kol was dead." She hesitated, looking up into Matt's eyes. "I just wanted to die too." Then she looked away, not wanting to see the worry Matt would have at her saying such things. "But someone made me realize I was better than that."

"What do you mean by _someone_?" Matt urged.

"I heard a voice in my head. I don't think I was imagining it…I mean, how could I?" Avery looked up again. "Matt, I heard my mom. I heard her tell me that I was stronger than I was acting. She woke me up."

Matt sat further back on the couch, thinking about it. "Have you told Kol about this?" He wasn't aware if this was the first time she had ever talked about it with someone. And for some reason, he was also curious what the original might have told her. But Avery was already shaking her head.

"He's already been concerned about me. Even though he tries to hide it, I can tell. I didn't want to give him something else to worry about." She justified.

Matt sighed. "You wouldn't be the first person to talk to someone who was no longer living." He stated quickly. He'd never told her about his similar experience and not about Jeremy's either. She looked up at him, questioning what he meant. "I think all of us have had some sort of contact with the dead at least once, whether it was from a spell or we just could see them." He sighed. "But you're not crazy."

"It just made me miss her even more." Avery whispered to herself, but Matt was still able to catch it. She knew he'd understand. They'd never talked about his sister before, but she'd learned enough from every one else that it wasn't a happy story to tell. Matt had it just as bad as her, if not worse.

Before either of them could say any more, there was a knock on the front door. Avery and Matt exchanged a confused look. Kol and Meredith would have just walked in plus they weren't expecting any of their friends. Matt got up quickly and grabbed the crossbow from the closet. Avery's heart instantly started speeding up. She slowly walked over to the front door, scared that the visitor would hear her. She looked through the peephole and immediately recognized the person standing on the other side. Avery hurriedly turned to Matt. "Down boy. It's cool." She muttered as she unlocked the door and opened the door.

"Hey, Elena. Umm…are you here to see Matt?" Avery greeted politely. She was a little taken aback from Elena's expression. It looked as if she was about to cry. "Do you want to come-"

"DON'T invite me in!" Elena interrupted before she could get a formal invitation. Avery jumped a little at the immediate response. "Sorry. I just…I haven't earned the right. Not yet." She sighed. "And I actually came here to see you."

Avery's eyebrows rose a little. Even though they basically had all the same friends, her and Elena never really reached that level. Elena had always been somewhat distant with her. At first, it sort of bothered Avery. She felt like she wasn't good enough for Elena. And she couldn't think of anything she'd done wrong to deserve such a reaction from her. But eventually, she realized that some people just didn't always get along so well.

"I had to sneak out of the boarding house to get here. But I just had to talk to you." Elena looked over Avery's shoulder to make eye contact with Matt. Somehow he read that she needed to speak with Avery alone. He didn't question what she was doing there; he simply went into Avery's bedroom to give them some privacy.

"Elena, is everything okay?" Avery asked nervously.

"No…it's not. I just had to talk to you."

"Yeah, you said that already. But I'm still confused about what that is exactly." Avery commented. It felt weird talking to Elena with a doorway between them. It was more of a barrier than she realized.

"When I first heard about you coming to town…I never knew about you or your family. Stefan and Damon made sure to keep everything quiet. They were sheltering me. It wasn't until you became friends with all of us that I put it together." Her voice was shaking and tears started filling Elena's eyes. She could hear Avery's pulse speed. It was if her body was preparing for something she didn't even know about, yet. Elena couldn't take it any longer. She paused. The second of silence felt like an eternity.

"Avery, I'm the one who killed your family." Elena stated slowly and evenly. As soon as she heard that Avery's breathing caught, tears flooded down. "When I was first turned, I didn't think I was strong enough to control myself. I made Stefan and Damon take me somewhere out of town because I was so scared that I'd hurt someone I loved. But all I ended up doing was hurting people that others did." Avery didn't cry. She didn't yell. She didn't move. Her eyes were locked on Elena's, urging the vampire to continue.

"The thirst…it just took over. I couldn't control myself, just like I feared. I ran away before either of them could stop me. It was like watching a movie. I could see everything I was doing but it's like it wasn't even me. I couldn't stop. I went to the first house I found. Your dad answered the door and invited me in when he thought I was hurt." Elena stopped abruptly. She didn't think she could go on.

"Keep going." Avery instructed evenly.

"Avery…" Elena almost begged.

"I want to know exactly what happened."

Elena stared, not really having a choice. "I didn't even think about how he immediately knew what I was. But if he were married to a Fell, he'd have to know about vampires. He ran upstairs to protect your mom. But I killed them both. With all the blood, I just couldn't stop myself. Your little brother…he…he must have heard. He came rushing into the room. And I was blinded by my thirst."

Avery was no longer there. She envisioned the whole thing happening. Every word Elena said painted the horrible picture. It was like she was reliving their deaths all over again. Everything was new now. It was happening all over again.

"When I finally realized what I'd done, I panicked. I was scared someone would figure out it was a vampire attack. I cut their necks to get rid of the fang marks. Once I told Damon and Stefan what I'd done, you'd already found them. It was too late to do anything. The police were already there when she showed up." Elena finished lamely. She tried to read Avery's face, apprehend her quietness. But it was nearly impossible.

"Avery, I'm so sorry. And I can never tell you how sorry I am. But most of all, I want you to know that I never expect you to forgive me for what I did." Elena was fully sobbing now. Avery caught someone watching them at a distance. Stefan and Damon had showed up in the last minute and now stood at the edge of her driveway. She didn't know precisely when they arrived nor did she really care. A part of Avery blamed them for what happened too.

"I wanted to tell you so much sooner. I just couldn't…I knew I wouldn't be able to handle the look you're giving me right now. But you deserved to know the truth, to know who's really responsible." Elena forcefully wiped away her tears.

Avery still hadn't said anything. She believed Elena when she claimed that she'd come there to tell how her family really died. But she also know Elena was looking for some kind of redemption and relief. And Avery refused to give it to her. She wouldn't let Elena believe it was all over. She couldn't run away from this yet. Avery was too caught up in what Elena had told her to worry about that. She gave her one last glance before slowly shutting the front door in Elena's face.

* * *

"What happened?" Kol snapped at Matt as he opened the front door.

Avery's bedroom door was closed, making it impossible to hear their hushed conversation. Matt quickly explained what had transpired with Avery. He would have had no idea if it weren't for his eavesdropping. After she'd shut the door, Avery was silent and refused to answer any of Matt's questions. Kol's eyes became darker and darker as he waited impatiently for Matt's story to end. "I didn't know what to do. She hasn't said a word. She won't talk to me." Matt finally said. He'd called Kol in his desperation, completely unaware of what else to do. Kol looked at Avery's closed bedroom door. He walked past Matt, his shoulder just barely brushing Matt's roughly as he past him. Matt just rolled his eyes and sighed at the gesture. He was in no mood to pick a fight with Kol and he wouldn't do that to Avery.

Kol slowly opened the door, expecting to find Avery in uncontrollable tears. But when his eyes fell on her, she was sitting with her knees hugging her chest. Her eyes were in a place he could not see. But he also noticed her eyes were dry and it didn't appear as if she had ever started crying. Kol stood a few feet away, not sure what to say to her. He was almost waiting for her to shatter.

But after a few minutes, Avery finally looked at him for a split second. "I thought it would make it better, knowing how they really died." She whispered. Her eyes had gone distant again. "But I don't feel anything. I'm completely numb. Nothing's different. They're still gone. It didn't change anything." Kol still stood still. His arms were crossed as he watched her closely. Avery then looked him up and down. "I knew he'd call you." She muttered, annoyed at Matt's good intentions.

"As he should." Kol quickly replied.

The anger that laced his response caught Avery's attention. "Kol, you're not going to do anything." She demanded sternly.

"Who said I was going to do anything?" But he didn't look at her.

"No one has to… I can tell just by looking at you." Avery pointed out darkly. Kol didn't know how else to handle the news. So he fell back to what he was familiar with: violence. Instead of knowing how to show comfort, he only knew how to seek vengeance on her account.

Avery waited for him to calm down but it didn't seem to be happening. "If it had been Hayley, would you have killed her?" She challenged. His head snapped up at that, resenting the low hit. Her voice softened then. "Going out on a killing spree isn't going to help me." Avery told him.

"Then what is?" Kol's response came off angry. But Avery only heard the helpless that was underneath.

"You're already doing it." She muttered. "You're here." Avery stood up and moved over to him. "You've been doing it the whole time. I would still be a complete mess if it weren't for you. And you still haven't realized that."

Kol stared at the ground instead of her, not believing that he could have helped in any way or done anything right. Before her, he had never been the person supporting, only the person who destroyed.

Avery sighed and leaned into him. She didn't need to hear him say that everything was going to be okay. Because right then, it wasn't. Nothing would be okay for a while. And saying it would be would only make it worse. She just needed him there, not striving for retribution. Kol wrapped his arms around her, realizing that it was all she ever wanted from him. And for once, he knew that he was capable of doing exactly what she needed.

* * *

**I think like 2 or 3 people commented about it being Elena a long time ago. I was sad that you figured it out but also quite impressed lol. I wanted it to be a huge surprise when it was finally revealed but w/e. You win some, you lose some. **


	38. Chapter 38

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR BEING SO PATIENT! You guys are amazing. And thanks for the wonderful reviews. **

**Music**

**Week #12 - Fabrizio Paterlini** (Matt/Avery)

**My Heart With You - The Rescues **(Kol)

**Fjogur piano - Sigur Ros **

* * *

Matt knocked on the bedroom door. It didn't budge until he heard Avery tell him to come in. Kol glared at the sight of him, naturally. But Matt ignored it, only looking at Avery. The two of them waited for him to speak.

After a few seconds, Matt finally watched at Kol uncomfortably. He didn't want to say any of this in front of him. But he knew he wouldn't leave. Matt took in a deep breath before making eye contact with Avery. "Remember when I said you wouldn't be the first person to contact the dead?" He asked seriously. Avery nodded her head. "I was one of the people I was talking about." He added lamely. "My sister…I could talk to her, see her." His voice became raspy. The memories came rushing back. "All of it only made it worse."

Avery took a step toward him, unsure if he wanted comfort or not. Meanwhile, Kol narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Matt. He had an idea at where this was going. "Matt, what are you saying?" Avery asked softly.

"Jeremy has done it before…he's tried to contact people on purpose. I never have. But Avery…I can try." Matt leaned forward with the last part. Avery squinted at him, slowly putting together what he meant. She felt Kol shift closer toward her.

It took a minute or two for Avery to think about it. If it were possible, would she want to see, hear, and speak with them? Her heart starting racing at the idea and she could feel her skin becoming hot. Kol watched her closely; sensing all the changes while Matt could not. Then Avery quickly nodded her head before she could change her mind. And Matt nodded back.

"I can try…but-"

"I know. There's no guarantee." Avery interrupted. She glanced at Kol who had yet to say anything. She couldn't read him. He didn't know what to do. There had never been anyone he cared about enough that he'd put such an effort into reaching them. He understood why Avery needed this so badly. She never had the goodbye she deserved with her family. No, Matt couldn't bring them back. But at least he could give her that. It made Kol oddly jealous; Matt could help in a way he never could. His jaw tensed at the strange situation that was unfolding.

Matt took in a deep breath with his eyes closed. Avery waited patiently, expecting this to be some sort of failure. She didn't want to get her hopes up. But then she suddenly felt a breeze of cold air. Shivers spread down her skin. It must be working, she thought. Avery glimpsed over at Kol but he was emotionless.

Matt looked at Avery, his eyes shined with tears. With his gift, he could feel all the emotions being thrown around. "They're here."

Avery's mouth dropped a little. She slowly backed away, scared now that it was actually happening. Her thoughts were so lost that she forgot about the bed she was about to run into. She slowly sat down on it. Kol stood in the corner, not feeling like he should be there. Avery stared at the space around Matt, hoping that somehow she was looking at them.

Matt gasped at the wave of energy he was receiving. He never predicted this to work. It was some kind of miracle. "Your dad says he loves you and he's sorry they had to leave you so soon." He informed her as he took deep breaths. Then Matt smiled a little as he listened. "Your brother says he wishes he could still annoy you until you kick him out of your room. And as little as he said it, he always loved you and he always will." Matt looked down at the ground. Avery's hand went over her mouth as her dry eyes stung from the water now enveloping them.

"My mom…is my mom here?" Avery stuttered in a whisper. Matt looked up at her. He offered his hand, signaling for her to hold it. She slowly walked over; scared she would break the connection with the smallest movement.

"Close your eyes." Matt instructed quietly. Avery did as she was told. She couldn't describe the feeling. For a split second, there was a tunnel of swirling light and a warm feeling that covered her entire body. It felt like a cocoon of comfort that she never wanted to leave. Then everything around her went quiet. It felt like there was no one in the room except her.

"No matter what anyone has made you believe, we're proud of you, Avery." Her mom's voice whispered. Avery's eyes snapped open. A single tear slid down her cheek as her eyes took in her family standing only a few feet in front of her. "I never told you because I didn't want this life for you and Jamie. That's all I've ever wanted for you. It's better this way… you not hating all of this because the town made you believe you had to. But we would never be ashamed because of who you chose." Her mom's eyes glanced toward Kol in the corner, but he couldn't see or hear them. "I can feel his love from the other side. I know you love him and we would never be ashamed of that." She told her daughter. "We have to go now, Avery. I love you, so, so much. All of us do. Now it's time for you to live your life, any way you wish."

Jamie gave her one of his beaming smiles that only kids were capable of. "Tell Elena we forgive her." He instructed his older sister. She looked at her dad when he mouthed that he loved her. Avery quickly nodded her head, sensing that their time was coming to a cascading close. "I love you." She whispered to all of them. And then, just like that, they were gone. Somehow she knew that they'd never come back. They waited at the in-between and now they'd finally had their farewell.

She wiped away the single tear that had escaped. Surprisingly, there was a small smile left on her mouth. Matt watched her closely. He wasn't sure what to do next. But she finally looked up at him. "Thank you." She said to him in the most sincere way. He'd given her what she had needed all this time. Then her eyes went to the corner of her room where Kol had been standing. But he was gone.

"Where's Kol?" She asked Matt quickly. Then his eyes followed hers. He hadn't realized he was gone until then.

"I…I don't know. He was there just a second ago." He stated.

"Oh my god." Avery whispered in horror. "We have to get to the boarding house." She rushed over to the desk and grabbed her car keys.

"What?" Matt let out.

"I don't have time to explain. Let's go!" She urged him to follow her to the front door. Then her words finally hit something with Matt. His eyes widened in terror when he finally put together what was going on. He ran outside to catch up and flung open the passenger door a second before she sped out of the driveway.

* * *

Kol raced through the forest in anger. He wasn't a fool. He knew exactly what Avery's parents would say. They would warn her to stay away from him, that he was one of the monsters that murdered them. And Avery would listen because she would never disobey her family's last wish. Kol didn't have to hear it for himself. It was obvious what would come soon.

In his blind rage, he found himself heading toward the Salvatore boarding house. If Avery were going to end all of this, what would it matter if Kol completed the vengeance? It was all he had left. As he felt his feet hit pavement, he glanced up to see the boarding house a few yards in front of him. He stood still a moment, listening to see if anyone was even there. A wicked smile spread across his lips as he instantly heard all three of their voices.

Kol made his way to the front door, already knowing that he would be able to enter without an invitation. No human owned this house. Being an original vampire, and the rest of them basically babies in comparison, he was able to sneak in without being noticed. He quietly walked to the living room that he could hear them in. He intended to make his entrance as dramatic and surprising as possible.

A minute later, Kol leaned against the opening to the living room. None of them had noticed his appearance yet. "I honestly don't understand why the two of you put up with it." He stated casually to them. But the edge and darkness could be heard underneath it all. The three vampires whipped their heads in his direction. "The never ending triangle…Isn't it exhausting? If the two of you weren't so pathetic you'd realize how weak you are for sharing someone between yourselves." Kol spoke to the Salvatore brothers as he slowly walked down the couple of stairs to fully get into the room.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked, slightly bored. But Elena's eyes showed fear, which Stefan immediately caught.

"Damon, I told Avery." She informed him and Stefan quickly. It was a warning that Kol was in no mood to challenge.

Damon immediately switched his gaze to Elena, glaring. "You did what?" He snapped, even though he heard her perfectly the first time.

"I had to, Damon! It wasn't fair. She deserved to know." Elena defended. But then she caught Kol's gaze. She could feel the lethalness of it. Kol could sense her fear and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh…" Damon said as he caught the exchange. "So you're here to seek some sort of revenge for the girl you love?" He pointed out in a condescending tone. But Kol didn't take his glare off of Elena. "Do you really think we're going to let that happen?" Damon asked him, slightly rhetorically.

"I never expected the two of you to stand aside. But three young and _weak_ vampires is no problem for me." Kol narrowed his gaze on Elena as he said the word weak. After all, if she had been stronger, than she wouldn't have killed Avery's family. "I already knew I'd have to kill the brothers too."

"And what about the peace treaty?" Stefan said cautiously. He could sense that Kol could attack at any moment. But for some reason, the original was dragging all of this out. He enjoyed watching their uneasiness and fear unravel.

"That ended the night we finished the last of the hunters. And I made it very clear that I was never in favor of the alliance in the first place." Kol stated with a gleam in his eyes. Before any more words were exchanged, Damon attacked Kol. He grabbed a handful of Kol's leather jack and shoved him to the ground. But his arrogance was also his weakness. The next second, Kol had thrown Damon off of him with such force that the young vampire hit the wall on the other side of the room. Before he had time to get up, Kol had already lifted him up off the ground and broke off a leg from a chair as a makeshift stake. He raised his arm to plunge it into Damon's heart.

"NO! PLEASE!" Elena shrieked.

Then Stefan finally intervened, stepping between Kol and his brother. His composure was calm but Kol could read his concern for Damon and Elena's safety. "Kol, we both know Avery would never want this." The younger Salvatore muttered carefully. The original's eyes were tapering the moment before he switched his attack on Stefan. Kol had him on the ground and in pain with the stake in his gut. Stefan couldn't help but groin in pain.

Kol tipped his head low so his mouth almost touched Stefan's ear. "Don't ever even say her name to me again. How are you so certain she wasn't the one who sent me here?" His voice was chilled with hate and revenge.

"She would never want Elena dead, even after what she did." Stefan hissed through his pain. The stake was still in his stomach. Kol still had a hold on the younger Salvatore as he looked up at Elena. Her hand was covering her mouth in fear. Damon had moved over to her side, standing protectively in front of her.

"Just because Avery doesn't want Elena dead, doesn't mean the bloody fiend doesn't deserve it." Kol snarled as his gaze tore into Elena. His words brought tears and guilt into the young vampire's eyes. She couldn't help it.

Kol slowly stood up from the floor, leaving Stefan free to remove the stake. Kol's gaze didn't part from Elena's. But before he could do her any harm, the front door flew open. He could perfectly see who entered. Avery immediately locked eyes with him as she rushed into the house. Matt was right behind her. Kol growled when he saw Hayley come in last. Avery knew she wouldn't be able to physically stop him herself so she brought someone who somewhat could.

"Kol, what are you doing?" Avery whispered. He could hear the astonishment and disappointment perfectly in her voice. "This is never what I wanted."

Kol shook his head, snapping out of his blind rage. He saw it in her eyes. Everything that lay in them proved he had been wrong. She hadn't given up on them or chose her family over him. Once again, Kol had successfully convinced himself that he didn't deserve her and something would make it come to a tragic end.

Avery offered her his hand and waited for him to cross the room to take it. Meanwhile, Damon eyed Hayley. They always disliked each other, always verbally fighting to prove it. But Damon always had a soft spot for her. Not a crush, just a respect he refused to ever show. He admired her fire and how she handled his arrogance and humor.

"Oh, look who you brought as back up." Damon said humorlessly to Avery as he took in Hayley's appearance. She was wearing dark-washed skinny jeans, a plain white t-shirt, black combat boots, and a fitted, black, leather jacket. Her hair was in a tight ponytail. She had a glare on her face the second she heard Damon's comment.

"Careful, Damon. You might say something that will justify me beating the shit out of you." Hayley specified with a dark and mischievous smirk.

"Ooooo." Damon mocked with his hands in a taunting manner. "Someone thinks they're a big bad vampire." His eyes twisted in his signature way as he returned a smirk. In a second, Hayley stood less than an inch away from him. With her height, she was at the exact same eye level, if not the tiniest bit taller.

"I don't know about big and bad…but I do believe I handle it better than others." She allowed her eyes to barely wander to Elena as she muttered it. The smirk was instantly wiped off Damon's face from the comment. And then Hayley stepped back, acting as if nothing had happened. She turned her attention to Kol, waiting for him to take Avery's hand and prove he wouldn't cause any harm. If he didn't she knew a small war would break out in a second. But it wouldn't be even. She'd have to stop Kol before he really killed the others.

Kol was only looking at Avery. "Let's just go home." She murmured. After a second of hesitation, Kol nodded his head and closed the distance between them. He took her hand and led her toward the door, without saying a word to anyone. Elena relaxed at their exit. She didn't deserve Avery's mercy, but she still got it.

The group stopped in the front lawn of the boarding house. Matt looked around and realized he didn't have a part in all of this any longer. He sighed before walking to Avery's car to wait.

Hayley had her arms crossed and gave Kol a look he was all too familiar with. "Will you stop looking at me as if I'm going to kill an entire city?" Kol growled, refusing to make eye contact with her.

"Stop being an idiot and I will." Hayley snapped back. Her expression softened when she regarded Avery. She gave her a small smile before disappearing, leaving Avery and Kol alone.

"What happened?" Avery whispered. A part of her had an idea, but she needed to hear it from him. Kol's jaw clenched at the question. He looked down at the grass, not wanting to answer her.

He shook his head, now feeling foolish for what he'd thought just instants ago. "The moment I heard you talking to your family…" He managed to start and finally looked her in the eye. "I persuaded myself that they would tell you to stay away from me. After everything that's happened, I thought it would be the last test. And I was convinced it was the one I wouldn't pass."

Avery took in a deep breath. "You didn't even know them, but you expected them to just blindly hate you and tell me to stay away?" She questioned in awe.

Kol stepped closer, his face so close to hers. "What else was I supposed to expect? Should I have thought that they would welcome an original vampire with open arms?" He challenged. "After all the things I've done. Why would they allow me to be with their daughter?" He took a step back, having proved his point.

"They did the exact opposite." Avery muttered. Kol froze at her statement. "They've seen all that you've done for me. They know you love me…and they saw that I love you too. All they ever wanted was for me to be happy." That was all it took for Kol to be swayed. After all the damage he'd caused, one thing would always be true. He did make her happy.

"Did you say goodbye?" Kol asked her gently. She nodded sadly. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, taking everything in. Her breathing and pulse calmed as she held onto him. It was satisfying in a way Kol never knew was possible before he met her. She'd shown him to be selfless and taught him to be happier making others content instead of himself. But she was oblivious to what she'd shown him. And it was only with her.

* * *

**A) Can we just talk about this new character on VD that is named Hayley? I've convinced myself that Julie Plec has read my fanfictions. LOL. That is how pathetic I am. **

**B) There is only a couple chapters left in this story. I thought I'd give some kind of warning. **


	39. Chapter 39

**Ok so the fic hit the 300 review mark! SO EXCITING! Thank you so much for reviewing. And if you never have, there is just enough time!**

* * *

Avery narrowed her eyes behind the cards in her hands. She was being dramatic as she tried to be mysterious. Her eyes then scanned the cards in her hands. She honestly didn't know that much about poker. She was used to simpler games like Go Fish or Egyptian Rat-Screw, less intense ones. If she had anything good in her stack, she was completely oblivious to it. They had randomly started playing cards. There wasn't much else to do in the mansion. There were televisions but Kol never really became accustomed to just watching TV. He didn't understand how humans could lay around and just stare at a screen like that. Avery actually quite enjoyed his thoughts on it.

"Are you going to bet anytime soon or just practice your poker face?" Kol asked with an amused smirk. He could tell she was thinking hard, trying to figure out if she even had anything good.

"It's extremely hard to bet when you have no idea how good or bad your hand is." Avery sighed and then let out a laugh. She wasn't fooling anyone.

Kol raised an eyebrow at her. "You're not very good at poker."

She teasingly glared as she slammed her cards on the table. "Sorry, I didn't spend immortality in brothels and taverns gambling all night." She challenged.

He acted as if he were insulted by the comment. "How dare you believe I would lower myself to such places as a brothel." He countered with a grin.

This time, Avery raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you honestly expecting me to believe you've never been to a brothel?" She asked in awe. But Kol had stood up from his seat across the table and was at her side in a second. Avery held up a finger showing him that he'd better not try anything. But just then, a burst of thunder erupted outside. They both allowed themselves to quickly glance out the windows of the den they were in. It had started raining a little while ago, but now it was pouring and lightning struck every few minutes.

Avery had apprehension in her eye at what Kol was about to do. Before she could guess, he picked her up out of her chair and threw her entire body over his shoulder. Avery shrieked and then a wave of laughter consumed her.

With no dangers threatening to destroy them, they seemed to treasure everything. If Kol had never met her, he'd never learned to enjoy the little things. He used to be entertained only by pain, death, and darkness. Now he had a purpose that brought out the good in him that he never knew he possessed. Avery's laughter in his ear, her heartbeat thumping against his chest, the way her bright blue eyes smiled into his: these were the things he found himself cherishing as if they would end at any moment. They showed him what love really felt like

"This is unfair!" Avery proclaimed in between her laughter. Kol ignored her as he held onto her body with one arm as he reached down for her cards. His eyes quickly skimmed over them.

"If we were playing strip poker, we'd already be in my bedroom." Kol said with mischief in his voice. With Avery still slung over his shoulder helplessly, she was unable to see entertainment in his eyes at such an idea.

"So is that what you played with all those prostitutes in the brothels?" Avery teased him. If there was no way of defending herself physically, at least she could fight back with her mocking and slights.

"You little…" Kol started as he moved, at vampire speed, to the nearby couch. He tossed her onto the soft cushions, careful not to hurt her. Avery let out a little yelp in surprise. He was able to see her face now, as his muscular body lingered over her small and delicate one. She looked up at him with a beaming smile. Her blue eyes mesmerized him for a moment. It wasn't until he felt her fingers graze up his neck and into his hair that he snapped out of his daze.

Suddenly, the doors of the den burst open. Hayley and Elijah entered. She was wearing dark jeans and a camel trench coat that had black leather sleeves. Both Kol and Avery separated. They took in Hayley and Elijah's appearance. Hayley's hair was drenched, but somehow it looked like she'd just done a swimsuit photo-shoot instead of making her look like a complete mess.

"It's raining outside…just in case anyone was wondering." Hayley stated sarcastically. Elijah smirked at her comment. Avery could always see their connection when she watched them, even though they hardly ever touched when they were around other people. Avery had never even seen them kiss. It was unlike Kol and her, who had just been all over one another a minute ago.

"Elijah, your brother claims he's never been to a brothel." Avery stated.

Elijah's raised his eyebrows at her, not expecting them to be talking about such a thing. "I prefer not to comment on the matter." He smoothly replied.

"That was Elijah's polite way of saying that Kol is lying." Hayley added with a smile. Avery laughed and turned her attention to Kol. She lounged on the couch with her feet resting in Kol's lap. He glared at his brother, joking around about feeling betrayed by Elijah's poor effort.

Hayley glanced at the cards on the table. "Were you playing cards?" She eyed the two of them, fully aware that they weren't _just_ playing a game.

Avery's cheeks blushed a little under Hayley's stare. "We were playing poker…then Kol got offended when I reminded him of all the brothels he went to." She finished with a laugh while Kol rolled his eyes.

"_I_ was playing poker. It's hard to play a card game with another when only one person knows how to play." Kol added. "Where were you coming from?" He asked them; gesturing with his hand at what a mess they were from the rain.

"Bonnies." Elijah informed them quickly. Both Kol and Avery immediately knew what that meant. Bonnie had been making some sort of serum for Caroline and Hayley to make sure the sickness from the fire was completely gone. From what Avery could tell, Hayley looked completely healed. But she believed it was Elijah pushing the extra precaution. And she couldn't blame him.

Avery and Kol happened to look at each other at the exact same time. It was almost as if they could have an entire conversation without saying a word. It worked for both of them, for Avery was so quiet and Kol exaggerated everything to get a reaction out of others and was then unable to say what he really wanted.

Hayley eyed the two, seeing that they should be left alone and she'd already interrupted them. She looked up at Elijah and saw that he was making the same mental note. "Come on. Let's go find Klaus and Rebekah." Hayley smiled at him as she grabbed his hand. He nodded, allowing her to lead him out of the room.

Avery glanced over at the door soon enough to catch the two of them close the door behind them. Her eyes narrowed as she thought of how little she knew about Hayley and Elijah's relationship. The only thing Kol had ever told her was that Elijah had compelled Hayley to forget him for two years.

"How did Elijah and Hayley meet?" Avery asked Kol. Hayley was clearly not from Mystic Falls. She wondered how a thousand year old vampire fell across a girl that was perfect for him, out of all the people in the world.

Kol shrugged his shoulders at her curiosity. "I never discussed it with either of them." He stated bleakly. Avery didn't need him to elaborate on why. Obviously he didn't talk to Hayley about his brother and definitely not the other way around. Kol noticed the disappointment in Avery's face. "But Rebekah knows…she mentioned to me once before. Hayley used to read at this coffee shop before her art class on the same day every week. Elijah had seen her a few times, I guess. One day, the fool finally composed the courage to introduce himself." Kol showed no enthusiasm or interest in the story. Avery assumed if she asked Hayley or even Rebekah, they would have told it in a very different way. She smiled at Kol, showing that she caught his complete lack of excitement with his version.

Avery's thoughts finally wandered, thinking about how her and Kol met. It felt like such a long time ago, but her perception of time had been tampered. With everything that happened, it was hard to remember that it had only been a couple of months. She tried to remember the night she first laid eyes on Kol. It had been one of her initial nights in Mystic Falls. Now that she knew him, she found it odd that he had been at a founder's family gathering to begin with. After all, he was one of the originals that they tried so hard to destroy.

"Kol?" Avery muttered to him softly.

"Hmm?" He answered as he grabbed her hand thoughtlessly, intertwining his fingers within hers. He wasn't expecting her to ask him anything serious.

"Why were you at the Lockwood's the night we met?" She questioned carefully. Her change of subject brought Kol out of his thoughts. He looked up at her curiously, confused at what had caused her to ask him that.

"I had heard about some sort of change with the town's council. I knew they were planning to try end my family or at least get us out of town." Kol finally started after a few minutes of deliberating if he really wanted to tell her. He sighed. "I went there to kill someone. I thought it would send a sort of message that we couldn't be beat…a warning, I guess." He quickly told her, looking directly into her eyes. But there was no surprise in hers. She already guessed something along those lines. There was no other reason he would want to go there except to find his next victim.

Avery's throat suddenly went dry when she realized what she wanted to ask next. After she figured out that he hadn't killed her family, she never questioned if he had still intended on killing her at some other time. "Was it going to be me? We were outside, all alone. And I remember how angry you looked when Meredith found me and how panicked she looked seeing me with you." She almost whispered.

Kol gazed seriously in her eyes, trying to get her to read them so he didn't have to explain. But she deserved for him to tell her what he'd really been thinking that night. "The first second I saw you…it was." He confessed. Then Kol took in a deep breath. "But then I saw your eyes."

Avery's brow furrowed in confusion. "My eyes?"

Kol hesitated. "When I saw them, I realized how utterly sad you were. I'd never seen anything like it before. You were so beautiful but I saw that you had completely given up. There was no hope left. When I followed you outside, I was too hypnotized and intrigued for you to be the one. I wanted to know what could make someone give up just like that. It was something I was unfamiliar with." He broke eye contact, realizing how meaningful everything he just said was. There had never been any intention for him to give such detail about his thoughts from that night. He glanced down at his hands. "Actually…I didn't kill anyone that night."

Avery was speechless. She never expected that was how he perceived her when they met. Before her, Kol had never experienced sadness, not in the way he saw in her that night. While everyone else at that party had veered away from her for it, her very sadness was what drew him in. It's odd how things turn out.

"And you didn't say a word to me." Kol lightly laughed.

"I'm sure you hated that." She smiled.

"It only made me more curious." He stated.

Avery giggled at that. "I promise, that was not my intention." Kol tilted his head, wanting her to continue. She immediately caught the message. Her fingers traced the lines on his palm, the hands that would never get old or wrinkle. "I wanted to leave as soon as I got to that party. Everyone kept talking about my family and I was just done acting for them." She looked up at him to find that he was watching her so closely. "And then there was you…" Avery smiled shyly. "You were the first and only person who actually looked at me. Even then, I knew there was something different about you. For the rest of the night, I kept looking for you. And then I wondered why I was so interested in seeing someone who I hadn't even said a word to. But that all makes sense now."

Avery learned that good things could come from tragedy. She knew she wouldn't have moved to Mystic Falls and met Kol if her family were still there. And although she would do anything to get them back, she knew that Kol and her would have still found one another somehow. Just like she believed Elijah and Hayley found each other, even after all the efforts he had put in keeping her away. Kol and Avery needed each other and they would never have found their best selves without meeting and falling in love.

* * *

**1) I changed my pen name. Hopefully that didn't throw anyone off. I just felt it was necessary. It was too close to my name/nicknames that people call me. And none of my friends or family know I write these. And I want to keep it that way.**

**2) People have asked about me writing a Klaus/Caroline fanfic or a Klaus/OC. And I hate to break it to you, but I just don't think I will ever do that. I know that the show is eventually going to do something with those two. And I just don't want to really interfere with it because I know Julie Plec and everyone else will just do it so much better lol.**

**Anyways...REVIEW! Please? You only have like, one more chapter to do it!**


	40. Chapter 40

**Thanks to every single person who reviewed. You are all my motivation, my inspiration, my everything. love you all so much.**

**Music  
**

**Sunset Soon Forgotten - Iron & Wine **(Packing)

**Bookends Theme - Simon & Garfunkel **(Hayley's Goodbye)

**Wash - Bon Iver **

**The Scientists - Coldplay **(Kol/Avery)

**Take Care - Beach House **(Doorbell)

* * *

Avery sat on the neatly made bed of Elijah's room. She quietly watched as Hayley moved about the room, varying between human and vampire speed, packing her things into old fashioned, leather suitcases. This had been going on for the past hour. And Avery had yet to say a word while watching her rushing around. Hayley finally paused for a moment and observed Avery.

"You're being extra quiet." Hayley pointed out. Avery shrugged and forced a sad smile. Hayley sighed and dropped a heavy pair of boots on the ground. They hit the shiny wood floor with a loud thud.

"Can't you stay?" Avery offered shyly. Hayley knew why Avery had been quiet this whole time. A part of her was surprised that leaving would bother Avery so much. She liked Avery, but she never really knew if Avery liked her back. Sometimes she'd assumed Avery had just put in the effort only for Kol's sake. But now Avery made it obvious that she truly cared. After all they'd been through, they became friends just like Hayley had intended from the beginning. Despite Hayley and Kol's inexplicable relationship and past, both girls looked past it and saw what it truly was. Hayley had become a part of Avery's new family in Mystic Falls. And seeing her go made Avery see how easily that family could change too.

"It was always the plan." Hayley stated kindly. "I had to convince Elijah just to stop and visit. And he's made it very clear that he regretted agreeing to it…for obvious reasons." She sighed. "Do you really see me staying in Mystic Falls?" Hayley laughed, which forced a smile on Avery's lips, thinking about the idea.

"Are you going back to Chicago?" Avery then asked.

Hayley rolled her eyes, thinking about the answer. "No. Elijah insists on taking me to Europe. Fall semester starts in a month, so I guess we have to go before then." Avery smirked at that. Even with Hayley's unusual circumstances, she still kept normal things in her life that anchored her to a human life. But Avery knew it was something Elijah pushed more than Hayley did.

"And what about Rebekah and Klaus?" Avery then asked.

"Rebekah wants to try and have the normal teenage experience she never could before. I don't think she's leaving any time soon." Avery saw Hayley's eyes zone out, assuming she was thinking about a certain hybrid then. "And Klaus…" Hayley looked up at Avery then. "Klaus won't stay away from Caroline, whether she's aware of it or not. He'll watch over, especially after everything that's happened." Hayley seemed to snap into a lighter mode and continued packing again.

Suddenly there was a knock on the open doorframe. Kol leaned against it, observing the sight playing out in front of him. "I see you've stolen Avery from me. I was wondering where she'd run off to." He teased Hayley, who barely glanced up at his arrival.

"I'm taking her with me. She likes me more than you anyways." Hayley responded quickly and shared a smile with Avery. Kol smirked at her comment and walked over to sit next to Avery on the bed.

"And where is my dear brother taking you?" He inquired.

Hayley rolled her eyes again and made an annoyed sound. "I honestly don't know. He says it's a surprise. I swear he's doing it to annoy me." Then she looked up to see Kol had a mischievous look in his eyes. "He told you!" She explained as she pointed a finger at him, accusingly.

"Even if I did, I was sworn to secrecy." He replied with a huge grin.

"You're the absolute worst, Kol Mikaelson!" Hayley yelled but through a smile. She picked up a shoe with a heel that was high and skinny enough to stab someone. She threw it rapidly in Kol's direction. But he caught it readily.

"Watch yourself." He said with a mocking serious tone. "There are humans here with horrible hand-eye coordination. Someone could get hurt." He dramatically nudged his head in Avery's direction, she had already caught that the joke was aimed at her.

Avery punched him in the arm. He fell back onto the bed theatrically; acting like it was the worst pain he ever received. "Was that hand-eye coordination good enough for you?" Avery playfully glared at him. Then she looked up to see Elijah had walked into the room. Although he wasn't smiling, his eyes showed that he was amused with the scenario he walked in on.

"You told Kol?" Hayley shot at him immediately. She stood up from pack with both of her hands on her hips. Then a smile finally broke from the original.

"I may have mentioned it to him in passing." Elijah smoothly replied.

Hayley shook her head, pretending to be mad. But Avery caught a smile break as she tilted her head down to continue packing. She knew that Elijah caught it too. Hayley began throwing bags into a pile, trying to somewhat organize the mess in front of her. She carelessly picked up a canvas backpack, that she thought was zipped, which caused it to spill a bunch of photographs onto the floor. One of the pictures slid to Avery's foot. She picked it up and took in its beauty. She knew Hayley had artistic talent, but she'd never really seen any of her work before. The only other time she was able to glance at it before was when Klaus showed them to her briefly.

Avery scooted onto the floor, next to Hayley, and started rummaging through all her photos that had fallen on the floor. Hayley laughed at her interest, never really seeing any of her stuff as that impressive. "You can take any of it…if you want." Hayley told her softly. Avery's eyes widened at the idea.

Meanwhile, Kol made eye contact with his brother. He got up from the bed and followed him outside of the bedroom, leaving the two girls alone. The two brothers never really had a healthy relationship. They were too different, too opposite to get along like loving brothers. Kol was impulsive, difficult, and unpredictable. While Elijah was moral and lived by a respectable code that Kol would never understand the point of following. And anyone knew that it was easier for the older original to find compassion when it was rather challenging for Kol.

That was why it was strange seeing them standing next to one another, separated from everyone else. They rarely talked to one another alone. It was only when their family was plotting together to save their lives or destroy another's. But Elijah needed to speak with Kol. He saw the way his little brother watched Avery. A part of him feared something would happen to her like it did with Hayley. And he knew Kol would never handle it in the same way he had.

"I don't believe you'll ever come back to this town. After everything it has brought onto the two of you." Kol said darkly.

"But that does not mean I will not see you again, brother." Elijah simplified.

Kol nodded his head. "I don't think either of them will let that happen." He said darkly, his eyes looking into the space in front of him.

Elijah's face was serious as he observed his brother's expression. "She forces you to see another perspective, doesn't she? She reminds you of the way humans see things…things that you could hardly see even when you were human." Kol's eyes shot to meet his, proving that it was exactly what Avery did to him. Elijah was all too familiar with the feeling. It was exactly what Hayley showed him also.

"They're to good for us." Kol stated what Elijah already knew. "And how do we repay them: with our own problems that only end up harming them in some way." He then pointed out.

"You and I both know that is not completely true, as much as we try to convince ourselves that it is." Just as Elijah paused, they heard both Hayley and Avery erupt with laughter from inside the room. It proved the point he was about to make. "You showed her how to be happy again." He told Kol.

After a minute, Kol rubbed his face stressfully with his hand. "I don't know where to go from here, Elijah." He confessed. Elijah then realized that his little brother wanted some sort of advice, something Kol had never asked for before. But he wasn't really asking for guidance, he wanted Elijah to tell him what to do because Kol didn't want to admit it to himself.

Elijah crossed his arms. "I believe you do know. You just don't desire to see it." He waited for Kol to show some sign that he was right. But Kol just stared in the direction of the doorway, listening to Avery and Hayley talk.

"Was it worth it?" Kol whispered to his older brother. Elijah knew exactly what he was talking about. Kol wanted to know, after all the pain Elijah caused Hayley, if he was happy that she'd become a vampire even if it was under horrifying circumstances. They'd briefly talked about it by the lake when he tried to show Kol the mistake he was making by pushing Avery away. It was the first time Kol had ever really talked about Hayley with him. Before it was complete taboo. But things had changed, obviously.

"It would have become this way eventually." Elijah admitted. "As you know quite well, Hayley is very stubborn and determined. I believe she would have found some way to become a vampire if I had ever refused it." He confessed with a sad smile. Kol smirked, realizing that she could have easily convinced him to do it if that had been the case. Rebekah or Klaus would have done it too.

Suddenly, Avery and Hayley emerged from the bedroom. "Elijah, Hayley can't come with you. I'm keeping her prisoner in my basement. I will take her daylight ring if that's what it takes." Avery said jokingly. Elijah smirked at her teasing. Then his eyes fell on Hayley who slowly walked to his side, putting her around his side and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Are you ready?" Elijah asked her gently. She nodded her head. Avery and her walked down the stairs where the car was already parked right outside the front door. It was raining, which felt gloomily suitable for such a departure. Kol and Elijah were downstairs in a second with all of their bags. Avery held her shoulders, protecting herself from the slight chill. She stood underneath the small shelter from the balcony above. Suddenly, she caught a movement in the corner of her eyes. Klaus lingered in the doorway of a room, watching from inside. Avery was able to see him since they left the front doors wide open.

Hayley seemed to sense his presence too. She turned and instantly made eye contact. Slowly, she walked over to him. Avery watched the trade closely, while neither of them seemed to notice. Klaus whispered something to her that Avery couldn't hear. Hayley nodded her head and embraced him in a tender hug. No matter how hard she tried, Avery would never understand their friendship. But from what she could read, Klaus seemed to be apologizing to Hayley. Avery then turned to see that Elijah had caught the exchange also. Water was dripping off his hair, from the pouring rain. Avery couldn't read his reaction.

Kol moved to stand close at Avery's side, just as wet as his older brother. Both were drenched from packing the car. Rebekah had also come out of nowhere to say good-bye to both Hayley and her brother. Avery glanced over again to see that Klaus had disappeared and Hayley was walking back toward the rest of them.

"I'll call you soon. I promise." Hayley muttered to Rebekah before giving her a hug. Rebekah nodded her head with a smile, knowing Hayley meant what she said. Elijah stood to the side, waiting for Hayley to say her goodbyes. This was never how their family had parted before. Most the time it wasn't even on good enough terms for them to even discuss their departure. But that was the change that both Avery and Hayley brought to their family.

Hayley then moved over to Kol, glaring at him jokingly. "You're gonna have to do a better job at keeping in touch." She warned him. Avery smiled when she saw Kol roll his eyes and finally give her a hug too. She was surprised to find that there was no jealousy in seeing it. There was no love from Kol, only friendship.

Finally, Hayley moved to Avery. She looked down at her with a sad smile. It was rather strange. Avery couldn't help but think Hayley knew something she didn't. "I'll keep him in line." Avery laughed to her, pushing the feeling to the side.

Hayley smiled before embracing her, something Avery hadn't expected. "We'll see each other again." She pledged in a whisper. Avery nodded her head. Hayley turned to Elijah, showing that she was ready to go if he was. He opened the passenger door for her. Before moving, he barely regarded his family. There was no hugging with them or even a verbal goodbye. It just wasn't what they did. But his eyes fell on Avery's for a split second. He gave her a short nod before getting into the driver's seat. She gave him a small smile in return. Rebekah had already gone back inside, disappearing like Klaus. It left Kol and Avery as the only ones to watch the car disappear down the long driveway.

Avery looked up at Kol who was still watching the car leave. She grabbed his hand, holding onto it tightly. "You'll see them again." She reassured him. Then he looked down at her and she realized that was not the reason for his silence. She swallowed, but her throat was too dry to speak.

She didn't want to say anything so Kol did. "I'll drive home with you." He muttered to her.

* * *

A few minutes later, Kol had walked Avery to her front door. She had instantly read Kol's face when they were at the mansion. It was worry and heartbreak, but it wasn't because he was watching his brother and his friend leave. It was because he wasn't staying with her. He was leaving too. She could tell by the hurt on his face. And she knew he didn't want to do it anymore than she did. "You're leaving too." Avery whispered.

Kol looked straight ahead. The scenario was so similar to last time when he told her he didn't love her. But Kol would never lie to her like that again. There wasn't anger or hatred in his eyes this time, only sadness.

After minutes of silence, he finally acknowledged what she had said. "I know where this will lead." He stated. "Being around me only ends in death. That is the curse of being a vampire. I won't let what happened to Hayley happen to you too. You deserve to live, Avery. If I stay, you'll never experience a human life. And sooner or later, you'll resent me for it."

Avery shook her head instantly, disagreeing with him completely. Her eyes burned and her throat hurt from its tightening. She wouldn't let herself cry, trying to hold it back for as long as she possibly could. "But you even said… when I'm with you, I'm happy. I don't care about the rest, I just want to be with you, Kol."

"You must learn to be happy on your own." Kol explained, as he finally looked her in the eye. "This isn't good-bye, Avery. I will see you again. The devil in me doesn't want me to, but I can't be selfish with you any longer. I never thought I could love and care for someone like I do for you. It will never go away. My heart will forever belong to you."

"What if I want to become a vampire?" She answered. The comment made Kol's entire body tense for just a second. "My human life ended when my family died. If becoming a vampire is the only way this will end, than I'm ready for it. I want it, Kol. There's nothing left for me as a human anymore." She finished sadly. But it wasn't completely true. And in the back of her mind, Avery knew it. She still had Meredith, Matt: her new family she'd made in Mystic Falls.

Kol's hand cupped her chin, forcing her to look up. "Your human life isn't over. There is so much more to it than you realize. Being with you made me recognize and remember things about human life I forgot I had ever even known."

Avery knew she wouldn't be able to convince him to stay, no matter what she said. He was too stubborn. She wiped the tears from underneath her eyes that had finally escaped. She couldn't help it any longer. "When will I see you again?" She uttered in between the deep breaths she was taking to calm herself down.

"When it's right…when it's safe. I don't quite know yet. But I promise I will come back to you, Avery." He wrapped her into an embrace. His chin rested on top of her head. She just wanted him to say that he didn't care about all the other things…that he would find a way to stay with her no matter what. But life was too unkind to allow such an easy solution. And Kol was right; she needed to find her own happiness instead of finding it only in him. But that didn't change how she desired to stay in his arms like this forever.

"Please, don't forget me." Avery whispered into his chest. She didn't mean to say it out loud, it just happened. That was what she was most concerned for. She thought it was so simple for him to find someone else that caught his interest.

"Never." He immediately responded. The very idea was impossible for him to even think about. She still didn't realize how much she meant to him.

Kol eventually pulled away. Even if they'd stayed like that for hours, it still would have felt too short. He looked down at Avery, wiping away a tear before it could trail down her skin. Avery's lips were wet from her crying. He bent down to give her one last kiss before he left. But she didn't know the next time she would see him, or if she'd ever see him again at all. Both of them made sure this kiss would last, that it held the most meaning compared to the rest. Kol was the one to finally pull away, even though neither of them wanted it to stop.

Then, without saying another word, he kissed Avery on top of her head and was gone. He couldn't bring himself to actually say goodbye. And she really didn't want to hear it either. There was nothing but a soft brush of wind to prove to Avery that he'd left. She looked around, wanting to catch a last glimpse of him. But he moved to quickly. Otherwise, he would never be able to leave. If he looked back, he would have lost the strength to do what was needed.

* * *

Avery lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. All her tears had dried, leaving her feel the dried salt on her skin. She allowed herself to cry only for a little. Then she made a promise that would be the last of it. There was no knowing when she'd see Kol again. But crying wouldn't make time move faster. This is exactly what the separation was meant for: finding happiness and learning to live on her own. The sun was just setting and somehow Avery knew that Kol was no longer in Mystic Falls. It was almost like she could feel the distance growing between them.

She was swept out from underneath another wave of sadness when she heard the doorbell ring. If it hadn't been for the interruption, she would have been completely consumed by the desolation. Her brow creased, confused at who it could possibly be. Avery quickly looked at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. She brushed away the small smudges of mascara underneath her eyes before slowly walking toward the front door.

Her eyes widened when she opened the door and saw a small group of people waiting on the other side. Matt, Bonnie, Jeremy, and even Caroline, who had never even had a conversation with Avery, stared back at her. There was food in all of their hands. "What are you guys doing here?" Avery's voice rasped in confusion.

Matt didn't wait for an invitation as he led the group inside. The other three walked past and headed toward the kitchen while Matt stayed behind.

"We heard what happened." He informed her softly, and then saw that it only confused her more. "Hayley called." He added. That seemed to make sense to Avery. Now she understood the look Hayley gave her just before leaving. She knew what Kol was going to do, just like Avery had when she saw his face.

"We didn't want you to be alone." Matt said seriously. In that moment, Avery couldn't be more grateful for the friends she had miraculously made. She almost felt like she didn't deserve them.

Then the door opened again and Meredith rushed in with two bags of groceries in her hands. "Meredith, I thought you had work." Avery said to her aunt. Meredith smiled at Matt gratefully when he took the heavy bags out of her hands. He left them alone and joined the others in the kitchen.

"I got off early to spend some time with you." Meredith said with a sincere grin. There was a beat of silence. "I'm sorry I haven't been here for you as much as I should. I guess I'm not used to being needed." She added sorrowfully.

"It's ok, Meredith. You're here now. And you were there when no one else was." Avery pointed out. Apparently, Hayley had reached her aunt too. If she couldn't be there for Avery, she'd make sure that they were.

"Are you okay?" Meredith asked her softly.

"I wasn't until you guys showed up." She sighed and glanced at her friends that were in the kitchen. "We'll see each other again." She confirmed. There was no need for her to clarify that she was talking about Kol.

"Are you sure about that?" Meredith asked apprehensively. She didn't want Avery to wait for something that was never going to happen. But she wanted Kol and her to be together. Even if she had negative thoughts about him before, she couldn't deny the happiness that came out of his relationship with her niece.

"Absolutely." Avery responded without hesitation. It brought a smile to her face. She grabbed Meredith's hand and led her to the kitchen to join everyone else. Matt was making fun of Caroline's complete inability to cook. And Jeremy was reading a recipe out loud for Bonnie to make. Meredith grabbed a bottle of win and started pouring herself a glass.

Caroline made eye contact with Avery and carefully walked over to her. "Hey." She said with enthusiasm. Avery hadn't expected her to be so bubbly. But there was also empathy in the vampire's tone.

Avery said back shyly. "Hi, Caroline."

"We never got to officially meet." She smiled warmly to her. "Thanks for looking out for my friends." She said so sincerely that it caught Avery off guard.

"I think they were the ones that looked out for me." Avery defended.

"It was both." Caroline urged. She took in a deep breath before continuing. "Elena and Stefan wanted to come too." She informed her. Avery knew why they didn't. She knew she'd forgive Elena eventually, just not yet. After all, her family already had. Caroline nodded and gave one last understanding smile before hurrying back to help Matt get some food ready for the grill.

Avery stood quietly and watched everyone moving about the kitchen. They were all busy making food, talking…and laughing. There was so much laughing. Avery almost forgot what it was like to be in a room filled with it. She caught a small smile on her lips. This is what Kol wanted her to have and learn how to find. He was right; her human life wasn't over, not yet.

* * *

**Review! Perhaps I'll give you a surprise then ;]**


	41. Epilogue

**Thank you thank thank you for the overwhelming amount of heartfelt reviews I received. There was only one angry one (who was cowardly anonymous, might I add). Who was so angry, that they said this story was a waste of their time. I found it rather entertaining. THE MUSIC IS A MUST!**

**Music**

**Toward the Sun - Alexi Murdoch **(Avery/Meredith)

**Through the Dark - Alexi Murdoch **(Avery/Friends)

**To Build a Home - The Cinematic Orchestra **(Walking)

**Til Kingdom Come - Coldplay **(The End)

* * *

"So how are your classes going?" Meredith asked Avery on the phone.

Avery was walking through campus, heading back to her dorm after class. "It's good! My abnormal psych class is really interesting. But my social psych professor is a total dick." Avery laughed as she waved at a friend who passed her on the quad. She looked around at the trees. It was the middle of October and the leaves glowed every shade of warm colors. A smile slowly spread across her lips.

"So when are you coming home for a weekend?" Meredith asked instantly.

Her urgency made Avery laugh. "Meredith, I've only been here for like two months. My course load is pretty heavy this year. I don't think I'll be able to go home until Thanksgiving break." She sighed, wishing she could go home sooner. It was her sophomore year at Harvard, but missing home never went away. No matter how much she got used to the college life, she always missed Mystic Falls and her family.

"Have you talked to your friends lately?" Her aunt asked.

"Yeah. I talked to Matt on the phone yesterday. Bonnie, Caroline, Elena, and I all skyped a few days ago. Everyone seems to be doing well." Avery reassured her aunt. All of her friends and her made sure to keep in touch. They were more than just friends; they were family. All of them lost people they loved and no one would understand it better than them. It was what kept them together.

Avery reached her dorm then. "Hey, I'm supposed to meet my friends for dinner soon. I'll talk to later?" She asked her aunt.

"Oh of course! Yeah, go have fun! Go be in college." There was a moment of silence. "Avery, have I told you how proud I am of you?" Meredith asked sincerely.

Avery stopped walking at the thoughtful question. "Yeah. All the time." She lightly laughed. She heard Meredith let out a sigh on the other end of the phone.

"Good, because I am." Meredith assured her. There was another string of quiet. "Have you talked to him at all?" Meredith almost whispered. Avery's mouth opened a little at the question. Meredith had never talked about Kol before. But Avery could almost hear her waiting for him to be brought up sometimes. The question of him contacting her always lingered in their conversations.

It had been two years and Avery hadn't talked to him once. After a year, she had a moment of weakness. All she wanted was to hear his voice. Sometimes she would have a wave of fear wash over her, scared that she would forget the sound of his voice or what he looked like. Even though that would never happen, the overwhelming distress caused her to dial his number one night. But her ears immediately heard an automated message, informing her that the number had been disconnected. She'd never tried to find him again.

Avery tried her hardest not to give up. But at the same time, she wouldn't allow herself to even think about him. She didn't want to forget him, but she also wouldn't let him torture her thoughts every minute of every day.

"No. I haven't talked to him." Avery muttered after a minute.

"He hasn't forgot about you." Meredith said confidently. She could hear the sadness in her niece's voice and tried to stop her from losing hope.

Avery had a sad smile at the reassurance. "I know."

"Ok." Meredith sighed. "I'll let you go, honey. I love you."

"Love you too, Meredith. I'll call you soon." Avery said before hanging up.

* * *

"Oh my god, I'm so hungry. I think I could literally eat my own hand." One of Avery's friends said. The rest of the girls broke out in disgusted sounds. A group of them were making their way across campus to their favorite cafeteria.

"So Avery, have you thought about going out with that guy we met last weekend?" One of the friends asked her. But she could immediately read Avery's face and saw that she wasn't interested. "Come on, Avery! He was so cute! Why can't you at least give him a try?" Then all the other girls chimed in, urging her to do so as well. Avery just smiled. Her friends were constantly trying to set her up with someone or pushing her toward a cute guy they saw at every party.

"I just don't get it. There's always someone that's into her. But she is never even the slightest bit interested." Avery let them tease her. There was no point in trying to stop it. Every time her friends tried to set her up, she always gave them some strange excuse as to why she didn't want to. But no matter what, she never told them about Kol. It would be too hard to explain and there would be too much lying involved. Talking about boys made her thoughts drift to Kol for the second time that day. It felt harder than usual to keep them out.

"Look, she's not even paying attention." One of her friends laughed. Avery realized they were talking about her. She was snapped out of her thoughts and rejoined the conversation around her.

"Sorry…what?" Avery muttered awkwardly, proving to all of them that she really hadn't been listening. It made them laugh.

"We said there is the sexiest man staring at you." Avery rolled her eyes, getting used to this sort of thing happening with her friends. "Will you at least look at him before you roll your eyes?" Her friend continued to exclaim. Avery shook her head and kept walking, grabbing her friends to keep moving along.

"Oh my god…that hair and the dark eyes. He looks like trouble. I love it." One of them giggled. Avery suddenly stopped walking, causing all of her friends to run into her. It wasn't the description that caught her attention, but a feeling. She'd grown used to it such a long time ago. Her heart missed a beat and her chest almost felt like there was a swell of pressure against it. She felt like she couldn't breath.

It took Avery a moment to finally glance over to where her friends were looking. His back was to them, getting into a car. As if he could tell people were watching him, he turned around. Avery let out a breath, not bothering to show her disappointment. She pinched the bridge of her nose, mad at how easily she got her hopes up. But the feeling she got didn't leave after reading the stranger's face.

"Umm…you know, what…I don't feel so good all of the sudden." Avery muttered to her friends. But they had already noticed she was acting weird. "I just remembered that I forgot my ID anyways. I'll see you guys later tonight." She watched all of them exchange worried looks with one another before eventually shrugging their shoulders. They could tell they should just leave it alone.

Avery shoved her hands in the jacket as a gust of chilly wind hit her. She gave one last nod to her friends before turning around and heading back the direction they had just come from. She walked on a narrow path covered by red and orange leaved trees on either side. Her eyes glimpsed up to the blue sky just as one of the many clouds covered the sun as it moved across the atmosphere.

The air was getting colder and the wind more violent. It stung her eyes as she walked quickly back to her dorm. Her eyes only stared at the dark pavement to avoid the prickle. It allowed her to make sure she didn't run into anyone without looking up, even though the campus was scarce from everyone eating or still in class. But suddenly, a huge gust of wind came at her from the side. It brushed fallen leaves toward her that danced and circled around her. It wasn't until a pair of boots fell into her small frame of vision at the ground, that she stopped walk abruptly.

The gust of wind seemed to stop instantly. But Avery still didn't move her gaze up. Instead, she stared at the black, leather boots. She couldn't handle another disappointment today; she didn't want to. There was no need for constant hits at the act she had got so good at performing. She already knew how much she missed him. But Avery couldn't help herself. The hope that still survived forced her eyes to slowly move up from the boots to find the face they belonged to.

Kol stood only a couple feet away, his eyes waiting for hers. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his dark jeans. He had a black leather jacket on and a black zip-up underneath with the hood up, causing a slight darkness to linger over his handsome face. It made Avery wonder how long he'd been there, waiting just out of sight. If he was being so discreet and she refused to let herself look for him, maybe that was why she'd caught the feeling earlier.

At first glance, he looked exactly the same. And obviously, Avery had expected nothing else from an immortal. But after her observation really took over, she noticed the slightest differences. Such as his eyes that seemed lighter. The brown, which most always mistook for black, appeared to have lightened almost to a hazel, making it hard for Avery to tear away her gaze. Then there was scruff around his chin and jaw, making him look just a year or two older.

Perhaps it was just the fall colors around that made him seem so new to her. Or just time. The time apart that now seemed longer than ever somehow. It had paused the moment their eyes met. But Avery began breathing deeply again, after it felt like time was moving once more.

"Kol." Avery finally managed to gasp quietly. He took a step toward her. While she had taken all of him in, he had done the same with her. He'd never seen her cheeks pink from the cold or her hair billowing from the wind in such a way. The breeze blew her cherry blossom scent directly toward him. But most of all, she looked more beautiful than ever. Her blue eyes seemed to glow even brighter as the surrounding colors complimented them. And her midnight-black hair was longer since that last time he saw her.

Avery waited for the mischievous grin, that she knew so well, to show at any moment. But Kol's face was the most serious she'd ever seen it. She couldn't help it any longer. She closed the distance between them, throwing her arms around him. Avery had expected to be met with thin air, Kol just being an illusion her desperate heart had made. But she let out a deep breath when she felt Kol's strong arms press against her back. It wasn't an illusion; he was really there.

"Did you miss me?" Kol hummed into her ear. The sound of his voice made her eyes close. She pulled away and gave him a small smile. A single tear still slid down her cheek from the happiness. His finger wiped it away as he dipped his head to look at her. Avery strongly nodded her head, unable to find words to answer his question. Kol put a piece of hair behind her ear that had fallen across her face from the wind. His hand slid down and traced the line of her high cheekbone.

"You're back." Avery whispered. But it came out like a question instead of a statement. A part of her believed he would leave again at any second.

Kol nodded his head. "I'm not leaving again."

"You were right." She muttered to him. He tilted his head, wondering what she meant. "My human life wasn't over yet." She let out a sad laugh. "But that doesn't mean I didn't miss you through the rest of it."

Instead of telling her how much he missed her in return, he replied with his lips on hers. The second she felt the touch, a surge of warmth rushed through her body. She'd forgotten what it was like to kiss him, how much love she felt every time. Neither of them knew how long they embraced each other. They only paid attention to one another and how they couldn't be apart again.

After minutes passed, they pulled away, both breathing heavily. For moments, they stood just holding one another in silence. Neither of them wanted to ruin this with forced words. Or telling each other what they already knew: they loved one another more than anyone could pronounce.

"What do we do now?" Avery finally whispered.

"I believe the chose is yours. Whether you desire this life or another, I will be there." Kol said seriously. Then a smirk slowly appeared on his lips. "But I must be honest with you, my love. I rather like the idea of spending eternity with you."

Avery waited, staring into his eyes. And she read the seriousness in what he said. Then she smiled with him as if they both had a secret that no one else was aware of. "I like the idea of that too." She whispered to him.

_THE END_

* * *

**I just want to thank every sing one of you for taking the time to read this story. Once again, it got the attention I never ever expected. Thank you for all the reviews and encouragement. You are all amazing. And I love you.**

**Until next time. **

**-Me**


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